← John Singer Sargent

In the Generalife

Original title: In the Generalife

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Date

1912

Medium

Watercolor, wax crayon, and graphite on white wove paper

Dimensions

14 3/4 x 17 7/8 in. (37.5 x 45.4 cm) Mat: 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm) Framed (standard exhibition frame): 24 1/2 × 30 1/2 × 1 1/8 in. (62.2 × 77.5 × 2.9 cm)

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1915

kurzbeschreibung

In 'Im Generalife' from 1912, John Singer Sargent brings together several figures in a garden setting. He used watercolor, wax crayon, and graphite on white wove paper, and the image measures 37.5 x 45.4 cm.

Description

In the foreground someone sits on a chair and sketches on a drawing board. A standing person wearing a hat watches. A short distance behind, a third figure rests in an armchair and also looks toward the sketcher. Dense greenery and trees frame the activity; blues and greens dominate the color impression, creating a shaded, natural environment. Light falling from above emphasizes the contours of the figures and the background.

Context

Sargent painted this sheet in 1912 during a trip to Spain. The Generalife is a historic garden complex in Granada and part of the Alhambra. The work was probably made on site—a sign of Sargent's love of travel and his interest in garden architecture.

Impact

The impressionistic handling, with soft transitions and visible brushstrokes, creates a quiet, intimate mood. The layout draws attention to the person drawing and lets the viewer take part in the scene.

Technique

For this sheet Sargent combined watercolor with wax crayon and graphite on white wove paper. This allowed him to set precise lines alongside flowing areas of color—a hallmark of his late watercolors.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)