Collection
/
American Art

White Ships

John Singer Sargent

Brooklyn Museum photograph

Object Label

In this work, one of the latest of the watercolors in the 1909 purchase, Sargent used a small amount of clear wax on the right side of the larger boat in order to repel the blue washes and create highlights. This is the only watercolor in the collection from the 1909 purchase in which wax resist is found. Sargent’s use of this technique later increased significantly; most of Boston’s watercolors purchased in 1912 contain wax.

Caption

John Singer Sargent (American, born Italy, 1856–1925). White Ships, 1908. Translucent and touches of opaque watercolor and wax resist with graphite underdrawing, 13 7/8 x 19 3/8 in. (35.2 x 49.2 cm) frame: 24 3/16 x 30 3/16 x 1 7/8 in. (61.4 x 76.7 x 4.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by Special Subscription, 09.846. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

American Art

Title

White Ships

Date

1908

Medium

Translucent and touches of opaque watercolor and wax resist with graphite underdrawing

Classification

Watercolor

Dimensions

13 7/8 x 19 3/8 in. (35.2 x 49.2 cm) frame: 24 3/16 x 30 3/16 x 1 7/8 in. (61.4 x 76.7 x 4.8 cm)

Credit Line

Purchased by Special Subscription

Accession Number

09.846

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Artists and makers

John Singer Sargent

54 works in the collection