Santa Sofia

1891 (?)
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
This oil sketch was probably painted in 1891 when Sargent was studying Byzantine mosaics in preparation for his murals for the Boston Public Library. This is one of two located studies of the interior of Hagia (Santa) Sophia in Constantinople (the other study is in the J. B. Speed Art Museum, Lexington, Kentucky). The church, a monument of Byzantine art, was built between 532 and 537, during the reign of the Emperor Justinian I, and fell into Turkish hands in 1453, subsequently becoming a mosque.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title:
    Santa Sofia
  • Artist:
    John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
  • Date:
    1891 (?)
  • Culture:
    American
  • Medium:
    Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions:
    31 1/2 x 24 1/4 in. (80 x 61.6 cm)
  • Credit Line:
    Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950
  • Object Number:
    50.130.18
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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