American, b. Italy, 1856–1925
Garden Study of the Vickers Children
oil on canvas, 1884
54 1/4 x 36 3/16 inches
Gift of the Viola E. Bray Charitable Trust via Mr. and Mrs. William L. Richards, 1972.47
oil on canvas, 1884
54 1/4 x 36 3/16 inches
Gift of the Viola E. Bray Charitable Trust via Mr. and Mrs. William L. Richards, 1972.47
artist info
Born in Florence, Italy, to American parents who had strong Colonial roots in the Northeast, John Singer Sargent was a
sophisticated expatriate who made his reputation by painting flattering portraits of the American and European upper classes.
He had an exceptional natural technical mastery and keen powers of observation, which were polished by his exposure to
international influences and training abroad.
In 1884, Sargent made Garden Study of the Vickers Children. He commenced work on the study that summer, while on a visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Vickers in Sussex, England. Although many of Sargent's portraits are in the grand manner, he also excelled at more informal portraits. This composition, one of eleven portraits he painted of the Vickers family, depicts their children, Vincent and Dorothy, amidst stalks of lilies as they water the flowers in a seemingly spontaneous outdoor scene. It is executed in a naturalistic manner, with broad fluid brushstrokes and flat areas of undefined color. The lower portion of the composition is not fully resolved in its details.
In 1884, Sargent made Garden Study of the Vickers Children. He commenced work on the study that summer, while on a visit to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Vickers in Sussex, England. Although many of Sargent's portraits are in the grand manner, he also excelled at more informal portraits. This composition, one of eleven portraits he painted of the Vickers family, depicts their children, Vincent and Dorothy, amidst stalks of lilies as they water the flowers in a seemingly spontaneous outdoor scene. It is executed in a naturalistic manner, with broad fluid brushstrokes and flat areas of undefined color. The lower portion of the composition is not fully resolved in its details.
