Garden Study of the Vickers Children

Item

Name (Dublin Core): Garden Study of the Vickers Children
Summary (Dublin Core): Dorothy (ca. 1878–1949) and Billy (1879–1939) were the children of Albert and Edith Vickers, Sargent’s most important British patrons in the 1880s. This is one of several informal portraits Sargent created during his stay at the family’s home in Sussex. The two young children appear in an indeterminate garden setting. Sargent tilts the picture plane and eliminates the horizon to create a flat space. The lilies seem to float on the verdant field, producing a highly decorative effect. The association between children and lilies (a symbol of innocence and purity) places the image in a Victorian context, while the unorthodox composition evokes the work of such diverse artists as Édouard Manet and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Artist (Dublin Core): John Singer Sargent
Date (Dublin Core): 1884
Topic (Dublin Core): Gardens; Impressionism (Art)--United States; Children; Lilies
Medium (Dublin Core): Oil on canvas
Dimensions (Dublin Core): 54 3/16 × 36 in. (137.6 × 91.4 cm)
place of creation (VRA Ontology): Sussex
location of (VRA Ontology): Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York City
Provenance (Dublin Core): Gift of the Viola E. Bray Charitable Trust via Mr. and Mrs. William L. Richards, 1972.47. On loan to the MET from the Flint Institute of Arts
Identifier (Dublin Core): 1972.47
Source (Dublin Core): MET Museum Collection
Rights (Dublin Core): In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Item sets: American Garden Impressionism

Site pages: Figures

Media: garden study of the vickers children - john singer sargent.png