Artwork
The Hermit
The Hermit is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
The Hermit is a painting by John Singer Sargent. It was created in 1908.
The painting is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This suggests it's a significant work, as the museum is known for its extensive collection of art.
To learn more about the style and techniques used in The Hermit, look up the technique of glazing.
Subject & Meaning
Created from sketches made in the Aosta Valley of the Italian Alps, the work utilizes textured brushstrokes to render the interplay of light and foliage.
John Singer Sargent's 1908 painting The Hermit depicts a solitary man accompanied by two deer within a forest setting illuminated by dappled sunlight. Created from sketches made in the Aosta Valley of the Italian Alps, the work utilizes textured brushstrokes to render the interplay of light and foliage. Although the composition visually resembles traditional iconography of Saint Jerome in the wilderness, Sargent explicitly rejected this specific Christian association.
In correspondence with the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he expressed a desire for a title that avoided religious connotations, instead aiming to evoke concepts of quietness and pantheism. Consequently, the piece represents a spiritual connection with nature rather than a specific religious narrative, focusing on the serene atmosphere of the hermit's isolation amidst the natural world.
Technique & Style
The Hermit is an oil painting on canvas, measuring approximately 95.9 cm high by 96.5 cm wide. Sargent employed thick, textured brushstrokes to render the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest foliage, the hermit figure, and two deer, creating a lively surface that conveys both light and atmosphere. The handling is characterized by vigorous, impasto strokes that emphasize the interplay of light and shadow, aligning with his plein‑air sketches made in the Aosta Valley.
History & Provenance
The Hermit is an oil‑on‑canvas painting executed in 1908 by John Singer Sargent. Sargent developed the work from sketches made during a stay in the Aosta Valley, using thick brushstrokes to render dappled sunlight on a solitary figure and two deer; he deliberately avoided the Christian connotations of the term "hermit" and sought a word suggesting quietness and pantheism. The finished composition measures 95.9 × 96.5 cm and was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains.
Its creation history is documented in contemporary correspondence in which Sargent explained his intent to capture a secular, contemplative mood rather than a saintly image. The painting's provenance traces from Sargent's studio to the museum's collection, with no recorded private sales.
Context
Painted in 1908 during a stay in the Aosta Valley, John Singer Sargent's The Hermit engages with the traditional iconography of Saint Jerome in the wilderness while deliberately subverting its Christian connotations. Although the composition features a solitary figure accompanied by deer amidst dappled forest light, Sargent explicitly sought to move beyond religious association. In correspondence with the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the work now resides, the artist expressed a desire for a title suggesting "quietness and pantheism" rather than the traditional religious label.
This intent reframes the painting as a meditation on nature and solitude, distinguishing it from earlier hagiographic depictions. The work's textured brushwork captures the interplay of light and foliage, anchoring it within Sargent's broader exploration of landscape and atmosphere in his later career.
Overview
John Singer Sargent completed The Hermit, an oil painting, in 1908. This work, also known by its Italian title Il solitario, is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece reflects Sargent's artistic output during a period when he explored various subjects beyond his renowned portrait commissions.
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.
