The Portal of S. Giorgio Maggiore, Venice

John Singer Sargent was one of the most celebrated portraitists of his time. Born to American socialites, the young Sargent grew up traveling between major European cities and was exposed to several different schools of art education. Between 1898 and 1913 the artist visited Venice almost every year, attracted by the city’s beauty and unique landscape. In producing many spontaneous watercolors outdoors Sargent captured the gentle undulation of the water and fleeting light with loosely defined contours and quick, visible brushstrokes.