Oxen by John Singer Sargent

Oxen c. 1910

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Copyright: Public Domain: Artvee

John Singer Sargent, that society portraitist, made this watercolor painting, called Oxen. What’s amazing is how Sargent’s swift brushstrokes capture the weight and mass of these animals with such economy. Look at the way he uses washes of color, layering transparent hues to create depth and shadow. You can almost feel the dampness of the barn, the warmth of the animals' bodies radiating into the cool air. He’s playing with light and shadow to give us just enough information. See the way the light glances off the oxen’s backs, creating these little pools of brightness, contrasted with the dark earthy tones of the hay strewn barn floor. It reminds me of Courbet's paintings of animals. But Sargent brings this incredible lightness of touch to it. There is something modern in that openness, a sense of art being about finding, not necessarily knowing.

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