Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek

John Singer Sargent

1906 · Watercolor and graphite on white wove paper · The American Wing

The peripatetic Sargent made his second trip to the Middle East in 1905-6 to conduct research for a mural commission for the Boston Public Library. While traveling, he often captured the sights and scenery in watercolor. At the acropolis of the ancient city of Baalbek (Lebanon), Sargent painted a series of watercolors focusing on the effect of warm Mediterranean sunlight on stone using a pastel palette. Here he depicts the Temple of Bacchus, with its distinctive leaning column fragment.

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Date

1906

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on white wove paper

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950