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Lot Essay
The Salute, Venice belongs to a body of work that John Singer Sargent executed in Venice between 1904 and 1909. Sargent set out in a gondola to approach the city from the water, seeking to provide a unique vantage point when capturing his vivid imagery in dazzling watercolor tones. Watercolors produced in this manner, including the present work, have the effect of a snapshot, echoing contemporary photography with their cropped, close-up views.
Among Sargent's most iconic pictures of this period are those dedicated to the city's towering Santa Maria della Salute, a major landmark at the entrance of the Grand Canal. The Salute, Venice belongs to a series of six watercolors depicting the Salute's dome on the horizon, entwined with vessels moored to the south, in the Canale della Giudecca. The present work is the last watercolor from this series remaining in private hands.
The present work was retained by the artist until his death, at which time it was sold in his 1925 estate sale at Christie's, London. Ruth Simpkins Thayer—wife of Bayard Thayer, a well-known horticulturalist, yachtsman and member of the prominent New England family—acquired The Salute, Venice from the estate sale. Sargent additionally executed several charcoal portraits of Ruth and each of her four children during his lifetime.
Among Sargent's most iconic pictures of this period are those dedicated to the city's towering Santa Maria della Salute, a major landmark at the entrance of the Grand Canal. The Salute, Venice belongs to a series of six watercolors depicting the Salute's dome on the horizon, entwined with vessels moored to the south, in the Canale della Giudecca. The present work is the last watercolor from this series remaining in private hands.
The present work was retained by the artist until his death, at which time it was sold in his 1925 estate sale at Christie's, London. Ruth Simpkins Thayer—wife of Bayard Thayer, a well-known horticulturalist, yachtsman and member of the prominent New England family—acquired The Salute, Venice from the estate sale. Sargent additionally executed several charcoal portraits of Ruth and each of her four children during his lifetime.