About this artwork
Beginning in 1885, John Singer Sargent spent more and more time painting out of doors, exploring the techniques and subjects of Impressionism, inspired by a growing friendship with Claude Monet. Working alongside fellow American artists in the rural English environs of Worcestershire, Sargent experimented with distinctly broken brushwork and a high-keyed palette. Thistles captures the tangled movement of the windblown plants in light and shadow. The landscape composition is remarkably abstract, the dynamic patterning of the thistles asserting the flatness of the picture plane more so than any sense of depth. Sargent continued painting en plein air throughout his life, a practice that provided needed respite from his busy schedule as an acclaimed portraitist.
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On View
- American Art, Gallery 176
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Artist
- John Singer Sargent
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Title
- Thistles
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Origin
- England
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Date
- 1883–1889
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Dimensions
- 55.9 × 71.8 cm (22 × 28 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Brooks McCormick
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Reference Number
- 1996.446
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email .
