Open Doorway, Morocco
between 1879 and 1880
John Singer Sargent captured the blinding intensity of the North African sun in this quick, sun-drenched sketch from his 1879 trip to Morocco. Notice how the loose, energetic brushstrokes make the whitewashed wall practically glow against the deep, cool shadows of the foreground. He leaves the heavy wooden door slightly ajar, teasing us with a tantalizing glimpse of bright blue sky and distant architecture just beyond the threshold. It’s a masterclass in capturing light and atmosphere on the fly, showing us the artist long before he became famous for his stiff, formal society portraits.
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