Market Place

John Singer Sargent

1890s · Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white wove paper · The American Wing

This scene could represent a caravansary in Egypt, Greece, or Turkey (which Sargent visited in 1890–91) or a market in Spain or Tangier (which Sargent visited in 1895). The earthy palette, accented by blues and purples, and the fluid technique typify the artist's watercolor style in the 1890s. Broad washes suggest the shadowed interior spaces beneath the arcades, and indeterminate forms appear in the courtyard amid clusters of urns and containers. Sargent's cursory graphite underdrawing is clearly visible, especially in the architecture.

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Date

1890s

Medium

Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950