On the Verandah 1920

Curator: This watercolor, titled "On the Verandah", was painted by John Singer Sargent around 1920. Quite a departure from his grand society portraits, wouldn’t you say? Editor: It’s domestic, intimate. A hazy summer afternoon caught in pale colors, like a memory fading at the edges. It certainly doesn’t shout ‘Sargent’ to me initially. Curator: I agree. He’s moved from capturing the confident stride of the elite to portraying quiet, everyday moments. Note how the architectural elements, those columns for instance, act as almost theatrical frames. Editor: They establish a definite rhythm. Verticals intersected by the horizontals of the verandah. This structured space then contains figures engaged in needlework – an interesting contrast. Are we to interpret that juxtaposition in terms of say, productive leisure? Curator: Or the subtle tensions within domesticity? Observe the figures – a relaxed man smoking, two women with needlework, another knitting off to the side… There's a sense of shared space yet individual focus. Sargent masterfully captures light using watercolor to suggest sun-dappled shade and convey a specific time of day. He renders the folds of fabric and reflections with astonishing lightness and specificity. Editor: Absolutely. And that soft green of the ceiling – it’s such a subtle, almost dreamlike choice. I find myself drawn to the way he leaves some areas bare, almost unfinished. It gives it an airy, ephemeral quality. Perhaps Sargent wanted to get to the feeling beneath surface appearances. Curator: That feeling of hazy tranquility – the light, the postures, everything contributes to this suspended, meditative mood. You realize that maybe true artistry is not merely about painting a face, but in rendering an emotion or a moment we recognize within ourselves. Editor: Precisely, which he seemed to find here. It does challenge the narrative of Sargent we think we know. Food for thought. Curator: Indeed. This watercolor, in its delicate way, lingers in the mind long after we’ve moved on, and reminds us that quietness also bears close study.