Artwork
Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara
Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1911 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
This painting is called Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara. It's an oil paint work by John Singer Sargent.
The painting was created in 1911 and is now part of a collection. It's interesting that the painting shows an aspect of work, specifically related to marble quarries.
To learn more about the artist's style and methods, look up the technique of glazing.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts laborers engaged in the manual extraction of marble at the Carrara quarries, illustrating the physical strain and monumental scale of the work; the differing sizes of the figures at opposite ends of the ropes convey the weight they collectively bear. By focusing on the act of quarrying, Sargent emphasizes the grueling labor required to harvest stone, turning a routine task into a study of human effort and industrial magnitude.
Technique & Style
Although the work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, it is not currently on display.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas and was completed in 1911. Sargent employs a precise, descriptive brush to render the figures and the rugged quarry walls, while the composition is organized around diagonal ropes that stretch across the picture, highlighting the physical effort of the workers. The canvas measures approximately 71.4 cm by 91.8 cm. Although the work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, it is not currently on display.
History & Provenance
John Singer Sargent created the oil painting Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara in 1911. The work, executed on canvas, depicts the labor-intensive process of marble quarrying in Carrara, Tuscany. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though it is not permanently on view.
Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting is not currently on view at the museum.
The work was created in 1911 and is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 71.4 cm in height by 91.8 cm in width.
Overview
Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara is an oil painting created by John Singer Sargent in 1911. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work captures the demanding process of extracting marble from the renowned quarries near Carrara, Italy. Currently, the painting is not accessible for public viewing.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury.
