The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Jane de Glehn (1873–1961) is shown sketching beside the great fountain of the Villa Torlonia in Frascati outside Rome, watched by her husband, Wilfrid (1870–1951). The pool, enclosed within a magnificent balustrade, lies at the top of a spectacular cascade that falls down the hillside to a Renaissance villa.
Jane is alert and focused as she places a brushstroke on the canvas, her feet resting on a fold-up stool. In contrast, Wilfrid, relaxed and idle, leans back, his thumbs caught in his belt. The figure of Wilfrid balances the composition and introduces both a narrative element and a mood of intimacy.
Jane is alert and focused as she places a brushstroke on the canvas, her feet resting on a fold-up stool. In contrast, Wilfrid, relaxed and idle, leans back, his thumbs caught in his belt. The figure of Wilfrid balances the composition and introduces both a narrative element and a mood of intimacy.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy
- Artist: John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
- Date: 1907
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 28 1/8 × 22 1/4 in. (71.4 × 56.5 cm)
- Credit Line: The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing