The Fountain, Villa Torlonia Folded Greeting Card

The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy was painted by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) in 1907. The year 1907 was a turning point for John Singer Sargent, as he daringly stepped away from his successful career as a portraitist in favour of plein air painting. This strong and lively work aptly captures that moment of transition, combining landscape and portraiture in a composition that speaks to friendship and painterly pursuits while also celebrating colour, surface and the fleeting effects of light and movement. The couple is Wilfrid and Jane Emmet de Glehn, professional artists and Sargent’s frequent travelling companions. Although The Fountain has the appearance of spontaneity, Sargent was frequently interrupted by rain as he worked. Thus, he completed it over several days, requiring his friends to pose at length. Credit: Friends of American Art Collection and the Art Institute of Chicago This work has a CC0 Public Domain designation