Artwork
White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco
White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco 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
Technique & Style
Executed in 1879, White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco is an oil painting created on a panel support. The work measures 26 cm in height and 34.9 cm in width. As a painting by John Singer Sargent, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium to render the architectural subject matter.
History & Provenance
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.
John Singer Sargent created the oil painting White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco in 1879. Executed on a panel support, the work measures 26 cm in height and 34.9 cm in width. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.
No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain between its creation and its current museum housing are provided in the available records.
Context
John Singer Sargent painted White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco, in 1879, a small oil work measuring 26 by 34.9 centimeters now held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting entered the museum's collection through a 1909 acquisition and was featured in the 1915 exhibition "Paintings of the Mediterranean" at the institution. Scholars have discussed its luminous treatment of sunlight as an extension of the artist's fascination with Mediterranean ambience, situating it within his broader oeuvre of travel-inspired subjects.
The work is frequently cited in studies of late nineteenth-century Orientalist painting and is included in comprehensive surveys of Sargent's output such as the 1999 retrospective at the National Gallery of Art. Art historians regard it as a significant example of his plein-air influenced studio compositions.
Overview
Created in 1890, White Walls in Sunlight, Morocco is an oil on canvas by John Singer Sargent, the American painter who spent much of his career abroad. The work captures a sun‑lit Moroccan alley, its muted architecture bathed in warm light, and is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a narrow passage flanked by two plastered walls, a modest patch of grass, and a doorway on the right. A solitary figure perched on a distant rooftop adds depth, while the interplay of light and shadow conveys a tranquil, contemplative atmosphere typical of everyday street scenes.
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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.
