Study for "Death and Victory"
In 1921, Sargent accepted a commission to paint a pair of mural panels for the stairway of Harvard University’s Widener Memorial Library to commemorate alumni who fought and died in World War I. This watercolor represents the final composition of one of the panels, "Death and Victory." Sargent’s allegorical representation shows a soldier, at center, who clutches the ascendant figure of Victory as he is weighed down by the shrouded figure of Death. This study was designed to fit into an architectural rendering of the library, probably to provide a general impression of how the murals would look in situ.
Artwork Details
- Title: Study for "Death and Victory"
- Artist: John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
- Date: 1921–22
- Culture: American
- Medium: Watercolor, graphite, and gouache on off-white wove paper
- Dimensions: 20 15/16 x 8 15/16 in. (53.2 x 22.7 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950
- Object Number: 50.130.84
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
John Singer Sargent
1870
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