Street in Venice

Painted in a post-impressionist manner, today's painting is set in a quiet backstreet off the Calle Larga dei Proverbi, near the Grand Canal in Venice. The painting shows a young woman walking along the flagstones, kicking her skirt with her right foot, the scene being observed by two men in the shadows to her left. From the manner in which Sargent depicts her down-turned eyes and seemingly fast pace with which she passes the two men, he is concerned largely with the invasive male glare and its effect on the passing woman.

This painting is one of a number of Venetian scenes painted or drawn by Sargent, who spent most of his life in Europe, during his time in the city. As in his other works, it largely ignores the architectural aspects the city is best known for and focuses instead on edgy back-street imagery. The influence of Impressionism is evident in a number of this work's features, especially in the broad brushstrokes of her dress and the unusual cropping of the composition.