About the Artist
By the turn of the century John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was recognized as the most acclaimed international society portraitist of the Edwardian era, and his clientele consisted of the most affluent, aristocratic, and fashionable people of his time. The artist resented the limitations of portraiture, however, and took every opportunity to paint a wide range of genre subjects. He abandoned portraiture around 1906 and worked primarily in watercolor, a medium in which he was extraordinarily gifted. Although an expatriate who lived in London, Sargent was committed to America's cultural development and executed important mural decorations for the Boston Public Library, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Harvard University's Widener Library.
This poster is a reproduction of John Singer Sargent's Street in Venice (1882).
Street in Venice, created during the second of Sargent's numerous visits to that city, was done on the spot. Mediterranean sunshine penetrates the narrow confines of the Calle Larga dei Proverbi, a back alley near the Grand Canal. The emptiness of the silent street implies that Sargent depicted siesta, the time when many Italians rest for three hours at midday. One of two men conversing in the shadows is distracted by a girl strolling alone. Her skirt’s rustling hem and shawl’s flowing fringe are rendered with indistinct strokes that suggest her rapid pace will soon carry her beyond his lingering gaze. This combination of technical skill and emotional intensity goes far toward explaining why Sargent received more honors and medals than any previous artist, European or American.
- 26 x 21 inches (image), 26 x 24 inches (poster)