John Singer Sargent painted in watercolor from his very earliest days, but it was only around the turn of the 20th century that he began to favor the medium. Increasingly tired of the strictures of his portrait commissions, Sargent set himself free in his watercolors, painting bold compositions that he claimed gave him "pleasure to do, and pleasure to keep."

Erica Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings

November 12, 2013