Artwork
The Balcony, Spain [and] Two Nude Bathers Standing on a Wharf
![The Balcony, Spain [and] Two Nude Bathers Standing on a Wharf, by John Singer Sargent, oil, 1890](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--the-balcony-spain-and-two-nude-bathers-standing-on-a-wharf--0ed1cd84ffcfb319-w1024.webp)
The Balcony, Spain [and] Two Nude Bathers Standing on a Wharf is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of leisure or daily routine by the water, consistent with the artist's exploration of light and figure in 1890.
The work depicts two nude figures standing on a wharf, engaging in the act of bathing. As a genre painting classified under nudes, the subject focuses on the human form within a waterside setting. The iconography is straightforward, centering on the depiction of bathing and the nude figure without additional symbolic layers described in the available records.
The composition captures a moment of leisure or daily routine by the water, consistent with the artist's exploration of light and figure in 1890.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, measuring approximately 34.9 cm in height and 26.7 cm in width. As a painting classified within the nude genre, it depicts two nude figures bathing on a wharf. The handling of the oil medium reflects Sargent's early approach to figure painting, emphasizing the anatomical forms and the light-filled atmosphere of the seaside scene.
History & Provenance
John Singer Sargent created the oil painting The Balcony, Spain [and] Two Nude Bathers Standing on a Wharf in 1890. Executed on a panel support, the work measures 34.9 by 26.7 centimeters. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, inventoried as 1977.1.1, where it is catalogued as oil paint on panel.
No specific details regarding an original commission or intermediate ownership transfers prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.
Overview
John Singer Sargent, an American artist who lived abroad, created The Balcony, Spain [and] Two Nude Bathers Standing on a Wharf in 1890. This oil painting reflects the Impressionist movement and showcases Sargent's diverse interests, combining a travel observation with a figure study. The work is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a facet of his extensive output.
Context
John Singer Sargent, an American expatriate, spent a significant portion of his life in Europe, receiving his artistic training in Florence and Paris. While widely recognized for his elegant portraits of high society, his broader body of work encompasses approximately 900 oil paintings and over 2,000 watercolors. These often capture subjects encountered during his extensive travels, moving beyond formal portraiture to include genre scenes and landscapes.
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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.
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