 | |  |
Fishing for Oysters at Cancale
1878
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856–1925
40.96 x 60.96 cm (16 1/8 x 24 in.)
Oil on canvas
Inscriptions: Lower right: J.S. SARGENT/PARISClassification: PaintingsObject is currently out on loanIn 1877 the twenty-one year old Sargent spent the summer in Cancale on the coast of Brittany sketching fisherfolk. He sent his first completed painting, "Fishing for Oysters at Cancale," a finished sketch, to New York for display at the newly-formed, avant garde Society of American Artists. Sargent submitted the second painting, "Oyster Gatherers of Cancale" (Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), a larger, more finished version of the same subject, to the 1878 Paris Salon, where it was awarded an Honorable Mention. Critics praised "Fishing for Oysters at Cancale," the first Sargent painting to be exhibited in America, for its silvery hue and almost palpable marine atmosphere. Samuel Colman, a landscape painter twenty-fours years Sargent's senior, bought it for $200 as a standard to emulate. Sargent's choice of subject was not revolutionary - a similar scene of oyster harvesters had previously won a medal at the Salon. However, his ability to paint the reflections in the tidal pools and the light sparkling on the figures and clouds dazzled viewers, clearly demonstrating that his talents extended beyond portraiture.
This text was adapted from an entry by Janet Comey in Erica Hirshler, "Impressionism Abroad: Boston and French Painting," exhibition catalogue, Royal Academy of Arts, 2005. Museum of Fine Arts, BostonGift of Miss Mary Appleton, 1935
Accession number: 35.708Provenance/Ownership History: The artist; to Samuel Colman, Newport, R.I., and New York, by 1880; to Susan Travers, Newport, R.I., by January 1903; to Mary Appleton, Newport, R.I., New York, and Boston, December 1904 (bequest of Susan Travers); to MFA, 1935, gift of Mary Appleton.This object is included in the following Selected Tour(s):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please note:
If you have comments or questions regarding objects in the collection or about the results of your search, please write to webmaster@mfa.org. Note that some of the electronic records indicate that they have not been reviewed recently by curatorial staff and might need revision; also, please note that a small percentage of the MFA’s collection is not presently searchable online. We are pleased to share images of objects on this Web site with the public as an educational resource. While these images are not permitted to be used for reproduction, we encourage you to do so by visiting our image rights page to submit a request.
|
<br />Museum of Fine Arts, Boston<br /><br />Gift of Miss Mary Appleton<br />35.708<br />'),'/zoom.asp?file=SC140053.jpg&width=600&height=420&captiontitle='+escape('Fishing for Oysters at Cancale')+'&title='+escape('Fishing for Oysters at Cancale')) "Click to enlarge")
