Artwork
Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile
Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Egyptian laborers engaged in the daily task of drawing water from the Nile using a shaduf, a traditional counterweighted pole-and-bucket system. Sargent's composition emphasizes the physical labor and communal effort required to access the river's life-sustaining resource, contrasting the arid landscape with the essential role of the Nile in sustaining human activity. The shaduf, a recurring motif in Egyptian agricultural art, symbolizes the ingenuity of pre-industrial water management, while the figures' attire and activity root the scene in the local cultural context of late 19th-century Egypt.
Within the broader project commissioned by the Boston Public Library, the work aligns with Sargent's exploration of the Nile's foundational role in the development of Western religious and cultural origins.
Technique & Style
Created in 1896, Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile is executed in oil paint on a canvas support.
Created in 1896, Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 63.5 centimeters in height and 53.3 centimeters in width. As an oil painting, the medium allows for the depiction of a group of locals interacting with the Nile, specifically showing figures collecting water raised by a shaduf at the riverbank.
The painting remains part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. While specific handling details or current conservation condition are not detailed in the provided records, the work stands as a finished oil-on-canvas piece arising from Sargent's travels in Egypt.
History & Provenance
The work was undertaken in connection with the Boston Public Library, part of a broader project to trace the origins of Western religion through art, for which Sargent traveled to Egypt, Greece, and Turkey between 1890 and 1891. The painting dates to 1896 and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it remains held.
John Singer Sargent's oil painting Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The work is classified as a painting executed on canvas, measuring 63.5 by 53.3 centimeters. The provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record its exhibition history or specific display dates within the museum.
Context
The 1896 oil canvas, Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile, was produced by John Singer Sargent following his Egyptian expedition of 1890–91, undertaken in support of a Boston Public Library initiative to investigate the roots of Western religion through visual art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the work, which portrays villagers drawing water from the Nile with a shaduf, a device Sargent observed on site. Scholars view the painting as a relatively rare genre scene in Sargent's oeuvre, reflecting his fascination with everyday Egyptian life and his engagement with Orientalist subject matter while also demonstrating his technical mastery of light and water.
Overview
John Singer Sargent's "Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile," an oil painting from 1890–1891, is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The artwork depicts a moment of daily life along the Nile River, showing local inhabitants engaged in drawing water. Sargent's approach is characterized by its vibrant color scheme and energetic brushwork, capturing the scene with a sense of immediacy and light.
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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.
