The artwork is titled “Café on the Riva degli Schiavoni,” created by John Singer Sargent between circa 1880 and 1882 using watercolor on paper. It is associated with the Impressionism art movement and represents the cityscape genre. The artwork is held in a private collection.
In the artwork, Sargent captures a tranquil scene of a café along the Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice. The atmospheric watercolor painting features silhouettes of individuals seated at café tables in the foreground, engaging in quiet conversation, while others stroll along the promenade. The artistic technique employs washes of warm tones to depict the architectural structures, with the domes and spires of Venice subtly emerging in the background. The soft hues of the sunset sky enhance the serene, almost dreamlike quality of the scene. Sargent’s masterful use of light and shadow infuses the piece with both a bustling vibrancy and a calm ambiance, characteristic of the Impressionist approach.