Boats, Venice c. 1908

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s watercolor, "Boats, Venice." The composition is so immediate, focusing on the hulls of the boats. What story do you think Sargent is trying to tell here? Curator: Sargent, often associated with elite portraiture, here presents working vessels. It asks us to consider Venice beyond the gondolas and palazzos. Who labored on these boats? What was their relationship to the glamorous Venice depicted elsewhere? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn't considered it from that perspective. Curator: By centering these boats, Sargent implicitly acknowledges a segment of Venetian society often unseen, prompting us to question whose stories are prioritized in art history. Editor: It really shifts my understanding of Sargent's work. Thanks!