Cairo

"Cairo" is an accomplished watercolor over graphite on wove paper created by the celebrated American artist John Singer Sargent during his period of intensive travel between 1886 and 1896. Classified formally as a drawing, this work exemplifies Sargent's prolific mastery of watercolor, a medium he used extensively for personal study and rapid atmospheric observation, especially during his journeys outside of Europe. The piece is highly characteristic of the American artistic production of the late nineteenth century, capturing the energy and unique light of a distant land.

The technique employed involves an initial, visible graphite underdrawing which serves as the compositional anchor. Sargent then applied fluid, layered washes of watercolor, demonstrating the spontaneous immediacy that defines his works in this medium. Unlike the highly finished formality required of his commissioned oil portraits, this drawing allows for a greater exploration of light and texture, particularly the harsh, brilliant illumination found in the Egyptian capital. The artistic output of the 1876 to 1900 period saw many Western artists, including Sargent, turning their attention eastward, reflecting a broad fin-de-siècle fascination with exotic subjects and landscapes that offered aesthetic opportunities far removed from European artistic constraints.

Executed sometime within the broad timeline of 1886 to 1896, this drawing is a key example of the sophisticated draughtsmanship Sargent maintained throughout his career while exploring new locales. As part of a distinguished public collection, the work resides at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Today, high-quality digital reproductions, or prints, of this significant American drawing are frequently made available through resources dedicated to artwork entering the public domain, ensuring global access to Sargent’s powerful observations.