Thistles
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)
1883–89
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- 55.9 × 71.8 cm (22 × 28 1/4 in.)
- Culture
- England
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago, Arts of the Americas
- Credit line
- Gift of Brooks McCormick
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the Art Institute of Chicago
About this work
Thistles captures the tangled movement of the windblown plants in light and shadow. Executing this work in rural England (or possibly in Nice, France), John Singer Sargent experimented with broken brushwork and a vibrant palette. The landscape composition is remarkably abstract, and the dynamic patterning of the thistles asserts the flatness of the picture plane rather than a sense of depth.
Beginning in 1885, Sargent spent more time painting out of doors, exploring the techniques and subjects of Impressionism, inspired by a growing friendship with Claude Monet. He continued painting en plein air throughout his life, a practice that provided needed respite from his busy schedule as an acclaimed portraitist.
Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0
