Man and Pool, Florida

John Singer Sargent

1917 · Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white wove paper · The American Wing

In 1917, Sargent visited his friends, the brothers Charles and James Deering in Miami, Florida. James’s elaborate Italianate villa, Vizcaya, then under construction, captivated Sargent. He created a series of dazzling watercolors at Vizcaya, using the muscular laborers who were building the garden as models. He posed them in the preserved natural landscape on the property, combining his delight in rendering the human figure with his favorite watercolor themes of sunlight and water.

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Date

1917

Medium

Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950