Marble Fountain in Italy
ca. 1907
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.6.108
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the lush Boboli Gardens of Florence,, John Singer Sargent's *Marble Fountain in Italy (ca. 1907) captures the timeless elegance of Renaissance splendor. Sargent, the celebrated American expatriate painter known for his virtuoso portraits and luminous watercolors, turned his gaze to this iconic marble fountain during one of his frequent European travels. The Boboli Gardens, behind the Pitti Palace, were a haven for artists seeking inspiration in their manicured landscapes and classical sculptures, and Sargent's work evokes the garden's serene beauty under dappled sunlight. Rendered ...
About the Artist
John Singer Sargent · 1856–1925
John Singer Sargent, born on January 12, 1856, in Florence to American expatriate parents FitzWilliam Sargent, an eye surgeon and medical illustrator, and Mary Newbold Singer, an amateur artist, enjoyed a nomadic childhood across Europe. His mother nurtured his artistic inclinations with sketchbooks and museum visits, while he received early watercolor lessons from German landscape painter Carl We...