The Quartette (Un quatuor)

William Dannat

1884 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Born in New York, Dannat studied at academies in Munich and Florence before settling in Paris in 1879. Like John Singer Sargent, Dannat studied with Carolus-Duran, one of many French painters influenced by Spain and its art. In "The Quartette," Dannat has portrayed a life-size group of figures making music in a stark setting, which probably represents a village inn or posada. The types are vigorous and carefully observed, rendered probably from studies Dannat had made on his sketching trips to Spain. "The Quartette" was internationally acclaimed as a tour de force when it appeared at the Paris Salon of 1884.

Artist

William Dannat

Date

1884

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. William H. Dannat, 1886