Mountain Lake 1870

John Singer Sargent composed this watercolor painting, titled "Mountain Lake," at an unknown date. Sargent, an American expatriate artist, lived a life of privilege and painted primarily wealthy, white subjects, but his approach to landscape painting opens a space to consider the complexities of identity and environment. Here, the somber palette and indistinct forms evoke a sense of the sublime, a popular aesthetic among privileged classes during the late 19th century who had the luxury to contemplate nature. The sublime landscape is often gendered as masculine in both its scale and the emotional response it hopes to conjure. Yet, Sargent’s soft brushstrokes and choice of watercolor complicate any reading of brute power. The mountain and the water seem to meld together. The painting’s beauty resides in this ambiguity, a delicate balance between strength and ephemerality. "Mountain Lake" reflects a changing world, one where traditional class structures were being questioned, and new ways of seeing and representing the world were emerging. What do you feel when you gaze into the misty scene?