From a low vantage point, we look up a steep, rocky mountainside at a towering mountain peak in the distance in this nearly square landscape painting. Painted with tones of cobalt and topaz blue, caramel and clay brown, mauve pink, lavender purple, ivory, and cream white, the rocks and mountain nearly fill this composition against a deep, crystal-blue sky dotted with a few white puffy clouds. Water trickles along the rocky ground into a white waterfall near the lower left corner. Vibrant green moss grows on some of the smaller rocks that form a diagonal line down to the lower right corner. Larger boulders are painted with denim blue and harvest yellow beyond the smaller rocks. The rocky landscape slopes dramatically up into the distance, where it meets the sheer cliff face of a back-lit monolith that nearly touches the top edge of the canvas. Brushstrokes are visible throughout, especially along the center for the middle distance. Light pours over the scene from the left, but some of the middle ground is cast into shadow, perhaps by unseen ridges.

Simplon Pass

John Singer Sargent

From a low vantage point, we look up a steep, rocky mountainside at a towering mountain peak in the distance in this nearly square landscape painting. Painted with tones of cobalt and topaz blue, caramel and clay brown, mauve pink, lavender purple, ivory, and cream white, the rocks and mountain nearly fill this composition against a deep, crystal-blue sky dotted with a few white puffy clouds. Water trickles along the rocky ground into a white waterfall near the lower left corner. Vibrant green moss grows on some of the smaller rocks that form a diagonal line down to the lower right corner. Larger boulders are painted with denim blue and harvest yellow beyond the smaller rocks. The rocky landscape slopes dramatically up into the distance, where it meets the sheer cliff face of a back-lit monolith that nearly touches the top edge of the canvas. Brushstrokes are visible throughout, especially along the center for the middle distance. Light pours over the scene from the left, but some of the middle ground is cast into shadow, perhaps by unseen ridges.

Colors in this work

Details
Artist
John Singer Sargent
Date
1911
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 71.8 × 92.6 cm (28 1/4 × 36 7/16 in.) framed: 92.1 × 112.7 × 8.9 cm (36 1/4 × 44 3/8 × 3 1/2 in.)
Department
CAB
Holding institution
National Gallery of Art
Palette

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Image provider
national-gallery-of-art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Bequest of James Parmelee, 1941)

Art Genome Taxonomy

7 tags

Subject Matter

  • Landscapes Both · 99%

    The title and museum description identify the subject as Simplon Pass, while the image clearly shows rocky mountain terrain, a distant peak, sky, and open alpine ground.

  • Waterscapes Both · 96%

    A waterfall and flowing water are clearly visible in the lower-left foreground, and the museum description specifically notes trickling water and a white waterfall.

  • The Sublime Interpretive · 80%

    The towering mountain, dramatic upward view, expansive sky, and comparatively small natural details create a strong visual sense of grandeur and overwhelming scale.

Visual Qualities

  • Bright and Vivid Colors Both · 93%

    Cobalt blue, cream white, ocher, mauve, brown, and vivid green passages create strong, lively color contrasts; these colors are also specified in the museum description.

Medium and Techniques

  • Large Brushstrokes/Loose Brushwork Visual · 98%

    Broad, distinct strokes remain visible across the rocks, water, slopes, vegetation, mountain, and clouds, producing a vigorous, textured surface.

  • Oil Painting Metadata · 99%

    The museum record identifies the medium as oil on canvas.

Time Periods

  • 1900 - 1917 Art Metadata · 99%

    The museum record dates the work to 1911, which falls within the 1900–1917 period.

Source & rights

John Singer Sargent. Simplon Pass. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.

High-resolution sources

Catalog record ↗ Image source ↗ Image license ↗ Image-use terms ↗ Catalog metadata terms ↗

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