Venice
Between 1898 and 1913 Sargent visited Venice almost every year, attracted by a community of friends and colleagues who gathered there and by the city’s scenic possibilities. In Sargent’s image of Venice at dusk, details are obscured and forms are softened by the fading light, suggested by broadly applied, fluid pigments. Pools of color, accented by curving brushstrokes, evoke the gentle undulation of the murky water of the canal. Contemporary travel accounts often describe the beauty and melancholy of the city at night. One author opines, "Venice viewed by moonlight is, and will always remain, so long as one stone is left standing upon another, a fairy tale woven with glorious color."
Artwork Details
- Title: Venice
- Artist: John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
- Date: ca. 1903
- Culture: American
- Medium: Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white wove paper
- Dimensions: 9 7/8 x 13 13/16 in. (25.1 x 35.1 cm)
Mat: 16 × 22 in. (40.6 × 55.9 cm)
Framed (standard exhibition frame): 18 1/4 × 24 1/4 × 1 1/8 in. (46.4 × 61.6 × 2.9 cm) - Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950
- Object Number: 50.130.37
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.