Nile, 1904 (from Sketchbook)
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
5 7/8 x 8 5/8 in. (14.9 x 21.9 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950
Accession Number
50.130.151w recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum Art, *Nile, 1904 (from Sketchbook)* Mary Newbold Sargent captures fleeting glimpse of one of the world's most iconic rivers. This intimate graphite drawing on paper, measuring just 5 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches, showcases Sargent's keen eye for landscape during her travels. Rendered in soft pencil strokes, it evokes the serene flow of the Nile—ancient lifeline of Egypt—amid the early 20th-century fascination with exotic destinations among American artists and travelers. As a sketchbook study, the work highlights the spontaneity of graphite as a m...
About the Artist
Mary Newbold Sargent · 1826–1906
Mary Newbold Sargent (née Singer, 1826–1906) was born on April 24, 1826, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John Singer, a tanner and merchant, and Mary Smith Newbold. She married Dr. FitzWilliam Sargent, an eye surgeon, on June 27, 1850, in Philadelphia. The death of their first daughter, Mary Newbold Sargent (1851–1853), triggered a profound emotional crisis for Mary, prompting the family to aban...