John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Mrs. Gardner at Fenway Court, 1903
Watercolor on paper, 45.1 x 30.5 cm (17 3/4 x 12 in.)
This vertical watercolor painting is an informal portrait of Mrs. Gardner set in the museum’s courtyard. Mrs. Gardner is wearing a brown, bulky coat with a shawl collar and a brown hat. She stands facing to our left with her head turned slightly toward us. Her light-skinned face is in partial shadow to our left. Faint pencil marks outline her left eye and nose, but her facial features are largely indistinguishable. Mrs. Gardner stands in front of a slender tree trunk with blue-green leaves and pink flowers covering the branches. Behind the tree are two white, round columns with carved capitals. To our right of the columns is a partial view of another tree.
Yellow Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.