Bedouin Camp

Sargent often used undiluted colors straight from the tube. In some instances he bulked colors further with the addition of zinc white paint. Unlike oil paints, watercolors can only be applied to a certain thickness before the paint shrinks and begins to crack as the water evaporates. In this work Sargent pushed the physical limits of his medium, as can be seen in the buildup and cracking of paint in the face and turban of the squatting Bedouin at the lower right.