Your space for culture
A Conversation with Sarah Cash, Curator at the National Gallery of Art, and Dr. Cristina Domenech
In this conversation with member of the QSSI Cultural Committee, Dr. Cristina Domenech, and Sarah Cash, associate curator of American and British paintings at the National Gallery of Art, the two explore the origins, galleries, and themes of the exhibition Sargent and Spain now on view at the National Gallery of Art.
John Singer Sargent’s (1856–1925) decades-long captivation with Spain yielded a remarkable body of work depicting the rich and diverse culture he encountered. Sargent and Spain is the first exhibition to reveal the depth of this engagement and the intentional approach the artist adopted there. Presenting some 140 oils, watercolors, drawings, and never-before published photographs, several almost certainly taken by the artist himself, the exhibition is on view from October 2, 2022, through January 2, 2023, in the West Building of the National Gallery of Art.
Sargent left a rich visual record of his time in Spain—over 225 oils, watercolors, and drawings, supplemented by sketchbooks, scrapbooks, and nearly 200 photographs that he collected or possibly took himself. Over seven extended visits between 1879 and 1912, he depicted stunning landscape views, detailed architectural studies, local peoples and traditions, dynamic scenes of flamenco dance, and everyday moments of Spanish Roma life. He copied paintings, especially by Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), in museums and was intrigued by art in churches, which influenced his expansive murals for the Boston Public Library.
