An Interior in Venice

In this painting Sargent depicts the American expatriates Daniel and Ariana Curtis, their son Ralph and his wife Lisa in the grand salon of the Palazzo Barbaro, Venice. The Curtises were leading society figures and enjoyed entertaining artists and writers – Sargent spent the summer of 1899 as a guest at the palace.

Sargent originally intended this painting as a gift for Mrs Curtis (who he nicknamed 'the Dogaressa') but she declined it as she thought it made her look too old and because she believed that her son was not depicted with appropriate decorum.