Fountain of Neptune

John Singer SargentWW-1902-029436

1902·Oil on board·57.2 × 47.6 cm (22 1/2 × 18 3/4 in.)

<p>Best known for his society portraits, John Singer Sargent was likewise adept at landscapes and architectural studies, practices that he increasingly pursued after 1900 in both oil and watercolor. <em>Fountain of Neptune</em> depicts a portion of the famous 16th-century fountain in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Painting his composition on site, en plein air, Sargent chose an up-close, truncated view of the sculpture, focusing not on the god of Neptune, but on the twisting, muscular bodies of other bronze figures adorning the fountain. The play of light on intricate surfaces of architecture and decoration is the composition’s principal subject.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1902
Medium: Oil on board
Dimensions: 57.2 × 47.6 cm (22 1/2 × 18 3/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: John Singer Sargent

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Painting

John Singer Sargent was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings. His oeuvre documents worldwide travel, from Venice to the Tyrol, Corfu, Capri, Spain, the Middle East, Montana, Maine, and Florida.

Florence, Italy

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