The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy
John Singer Sargent
1907
The year 1907 was a turning point for John Singer Sargent, as he daringly stepped away from his successful career as a portraitist in favor of plein air painting. This strong and lively work aptly captures that moment of transition, combining landscape and portraiture in a composition that speaks to friendship and painterly pursuits while also celebrating color, surface, and fleeting effects of light and movement. The couple is Wilfrid and Jane Emmet de Glehn, professional artists and Sargent’s frequent traveling companions. Although The Fountain has the appearance of spontaneity, Sargent was frequently interrupted by rain as he worked. He thus completed it over several days, requiring his friends to pose at length.
| Title | The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy |
|---|---|
| Artist | John Singer Sargent |
| Date | 1907 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Style | Impressionism |
| Dimensions | 71.4 × 56.5 cm (28 1/8 × 22 1/4 in.) |
About John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was the most sought-after portraitist of his generation on both sides of the Atlantic. Best known for his powerful, vibrant portraits, Sargent nevertheless excelled in a variety of genres, including landscapes, watercolors, and murals. Born in Florence to American parents, he lived abroad, traveling the world in search of his subjects and working professionally for more than 50 years.
Sargent first exhibited at the Art Institute—at the time located at Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street—in 1890, drawing crowds of visitors to the museum and helping to put Chicago on the map as a recognized center for contemporary art and culture. His ability to straddle the line between tradition and the avant-garde continued to impress audiences and collectors at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Sargent’s work was regularly featured in the galleries of the Art Institute as well as other venues and homes in the city. Foundational collectors in Chicago, including Charles Deering, Martin A. Ryerson, and Annie Swan Coburn, helped to secure Sargent’s presence, and eventual legacy, in the city.
A 2018 exhibition at the Art Institute examined Sargent’s impressive breadth of artistic accomplishment and the many connections between the artist, his patrons, his creative circle, and the city of Chicago.