A Window in the Vatican 1906

John Singer Sargent captured 'A Window in the Vatican' with oil on canvas, a view framed within the artist’s distinctive lens. Sargent, an expatriate American artist, often found himself navigating the currents of European tradition and American innovation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This piece invites us to consider not just what is seen, but also who is doing the seeing. Sargent positions us outside, looking in, presenting a perspective imbued with layers of social and historical context. The grand architecture speaks to the power of the Catholic Church, a longstanding institution, while the statue within hints at narratives of valor and authority, traditionally associated with male figures on horseback. As viewers, our access is mediated, contained by the window frame, prompting a deeper reflection on inclusion, exclusion, and the silent dialogues happening between the observed and the observer.