John Singer Sargent received strict academic training as an artist, but his teachers encouraged him to execute his work with immediacy and rapidity. They disapproved of any re-working.
This painting, very expressive in style, is notable for its quick and dynamic brushwork. On close inspection, the thick impasto becomes clearly visible, giving a rich texture to the painting. The sky, clouds, rocks, and alpine flowers fill this canvas, which Sargent painted during one of his sojourns in the Simplon Pass in the Oberland Alps of Switzerland.
“This energetic picture makes me want to leave the flat lands and head for the hills.” – anonymous
