From Jerusalem
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A sweeping view of an arid landscape constructed through broad, fluid washes of color. The foreground consists of rolling terrain in shades of ochre, yellow, and sandy brown, dotted with sparse green vegetation and the faint white outlines of a small settlement. The midground stretches into a hazy, flat expanse of violet and pale blue. Above, the sky dominates the composition, layered with translucent washes of purple and blue that are suddenly interrupted by a thick, heavy application of opaque white paint to define the central cloud. John Singer Sargent traveled to the Middle East around 1905 to research his mural commissions for the Boston Public Library. While famous for his formal oil portraits, Sargent used watercolor during his travels as a tool for rapid observation, expertly manipulating the transparency of the medium to record the harsh light and atmospheric depth of the region.