John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Santa Maria dei Gesuati, Venice, 1903 -1904
Watercolor on paper , 37.9 x 53.7 cm (14 15/16 x 21 1/8 in.)
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This vertical watercolor depicts a cropped, corner view of the Venetian church, Santa Maria dei Gesuati, juxtaposed with a row of houses in the neighborhood. The houses are positioned to our left, with the church extending from our left of center across to our right. The church is constructed of white marble with multiple columns on both sides of the front entrance. Shades of blue and brown watercolor highlight the sculptures in the niches, the capitals on the pillars, the area below the archway, and the steps and doorway of the entrance. The homes are painted in transparent shades of brown and yellow, with features such as windows and doors delineated by simple strokes of color. In the corner on your right is the artist’s signature.
Macknight Room
Commentary
Sargent had a particular interest in the architecture of Venice, and he painted this church, Santa Maria dei Gesuati, many times. By choosing a dramatic perspective from the corner and by cropping its façade, Sargent highlights how this massive baroque church humbles the neighboring houses.
The white marble of the church seems to dissolve in the sunlight, a picturesque effect, achieved by using translucent colors for the monumental columns and pillars. Only a few decorative elements such as the sculptures in the niches and the one visible capital are painted in more opaque colors.
Source: Oliver Tostmann and Anne-Marie Eze, The Inscrutable Eye: Watercolors by John Singer Sargent in Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Collection, exhibition on view in the Museum's Fenway Gallery, October 31, 2013–January 20, 2014.
The white marble of the church seems to dissolve in the sunlight, a picturesque effect, achieved by using translucent colors for the monumental columns and pillars. Only a few decorative elements such as the sculptures in the niches and the one visible capital are painted in more opaque colors.
Source: Oliver Tostmann and Anne-Marie Eze, The Inscrutable Eye: Watercolors by John Singer Sargent in Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Collection, exhibition on view in the Museum's Fenway Gallery, October 31, 2013–January 20, 2014.