Palace and Gardens, Spain 1912

John Singer Sargent created this watercolor, Palace and Gardens, Spain, during his travels in Europe. Sargent, an American expatriate, made a career out of painting the wealthy and privileged in Europe and the United States. With loose brushstrokes, Sargent captures a garden scene with a grand architectural structure in the background. The watercolor technique lends itself to capturing fleeting moments and impressions, reflecting the artist's interest in light and atmosphere. While celebrated for his society portraits, Sargent often turned to landscapes and architectural studies, like this one, for personal expression. Sargent's paintings can be viewed as a reflection of his identity as an outsider. His work subtly critiques the societies he inhabited, revealing as much about the artist's position as it does about the sitters themselves. In his landscapes, we find a respite from the formal constraints of portraiture, offering a glimpse into Sargent's inner world and his observations of the spaces around him.