John Singer Sargent, "Under the Willows"


  I always feel the first week of June marks the real beginning of the first week of summer.  So let's look at a very summer painting. 
  And, isn't this an ideal, idle activity.  We know little, only see the profile of a woman leisurely reclining in a boat on the water.  Has she fallen asleep?  Is she reading? Is she waiting for someone to join her?   She only looks relaxed, and easy for us to envy her.  
   This is an oil painting by American expatriate artist, John Singer Sargent.  We don't know the location, but best to assume it is in Europe, or Britain as Sargent spent most of his life there.   
  The composition is pretty straight forward.  Our white subject is just below center,  framed in orange/red against a complementary green setting.  The tree on the right forms a nice structure and the direction of leaf structures help to point the way down to our relaxed lady.   I find the water a joy to admire as I see sunlight and shadows of the trees, boat and red color.   

 Unfortunately the practical side of me wonders where the mosquitoes are, or the young children demanding their mother return to their side.   But Sargent is asking us not to dwell on the practical, only on this beautiful, ideal scene, a respite from life.

   "Under the Willows" is an oil on canvas measuring 27 inches by 22 inches.  It was painted in 1887 and is part of the permanent collection of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.  It is listed as a Promised Gift to the museum.  

Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.

Comments

  1. Charlotte HarguthMay 31, 2022 at 12:13 PM

    I, for one, envy her! What is the big red cushion she is reclining against? Is someone on the other end of the boat controlling the oars? I love the way he varies the green colors, so they are not overwhelming or boring! The tree trunk and the boat are a solid break from all he loose strokes in the foliage and the water. It is a beautiful relaxing scene. Reflections so lovely. Mosquitoes?? Certainly, in MN!!

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