In the Generalife

Sargent’s sister Emily sketches in Granada’s Generalife gardens with Jane de Glehn and Dolores Carmona. The watercolour belongs to a 1912 series joining outdoor work with portraits of his travelling companions.

Emily sits in dark clothing before a tilted board. Sargent shows his companion engaged in her own artistic work.

A large pale board rests diagonally on her lap. Simple equipment makes drawing directly in the garden possible.

An older dark-clad woman sits beside her. Companionship belongs to the setting of artistic work.

A woman in a broad hat leans behind. Her pose connects her attention with the seated sketcher’s activity.

Dense greenery hangs over the group. Uneven garden light becomes a shared working condition for both painters.

Rounded pale stones form the path beneath the chairs. Watercolour describes the garden surface through separate patches and exposed paper.

Sargent made formal portraits, landscapes, watercolours and murals. In the Generalife gardens, he observed his sister Emily at work. Their 1912 journey supplied material for a watercolour series portraying his companions.