Salmon River
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Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
The tumbling water in the foreground is a spectacular example of the use of drybrush, a technique in which the brush, charged with paint just fluid enough to allow it to transfer to the paper, is dragged across the surface. Since the paint remains mostly on the high points of the paper, the application is characterized by skips (here adding texture and suggesting rushing water).
Sargent applied an initial layer of green paint over the area of the water and allowed it to dry. He then mixed zinc white into his pigments to create light blue, pink, and lavender colors, which he dragged over the initial green layer, visible through the skipping brushwork (see image below). Over the pastel-toned colors, he added drybrush zinc white impasto highlights and dark green washes.
Caption
John Singer Sargent American, born Italy, 1856–1925. Salmon River, 1901. Opaque and translucent watercolor and graphite, 9 15/16 x 13 15/16 in. (25.3 x 35.4 cm) frame: 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 x 1 7/16 in. (45.4 x 60.6 x 3.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by Special Subscription, 09.837. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 09.837_PS6.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Salmon River
Date
1901
Medium
Opaque and translucent watercolor and graphite
Classification
Dimensions
9 15/16 x 13 15/16 in. (25.3 x 35.4 cm) frame: 17 7/8 x 23 7/8 x 1 7/16 in. (45.4 x 60.6 x 3.7 cm)
Credit Line
Purchased by Special Subscription
Accession Number
09.837
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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