Tyrolese Interior, by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). 1915. Oil on canvas. 28 1/8 x 22 1/16 in. (71.4 x 56 cm). Collection: The Met Museum, New York (but unfortunately not be downloaded from it). Source: Pousett-Dart, n.p. [Click on the image to enlarge it].
When World War I broke out, Sargent was in the Austrian Tyrol. He had travelled abroad as usual at this time of year, even as the storm-clouds of war were gathering; and he continued to go about his painting, too, as usual — despite some problems. At one point, for example, his work and materials were confiscated, to be examined for hints of hostile activity. He was staying in a picturesque place. "An old friend of Sargent’s arranged for his party to move to a large old house at St. Lorenzen, in the Pustertal, and when it became too cold at Colfuschg, his party moved there," explains Doreen Bolger Burke. It was in this area that this particular work, showing peasants gathered round the table for a meal, is thought to have been painted. Burke continues, "The background of the picture is filled with local decorative and religious objects, which appear in other paintings executed by the artist at this time, such as Tyrolese Crucifix..." (270). His mood might well have been affected by the increasing shadows of these times, as the subjects in the painting seem to have been. A small window provides the only light, just enough to illuminate downcast faces and clasped hands. They might be saying grace before the meal, or simply thinking about this new trouble, or even praying for an end to hostilities.
This is a very different work from Sargent's society portraits and shows how versatile he was, and how his skill with light and shade and colour, and indeed portraiture (looking at the faces here), could be put to use across a whole range of subjects. As is also evident here, his sympathy too extended widely. — Jacqueline Banerjee
Link to Related Material
Bibliography
Burke, Doreen Bolger. American Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum. Vol. III. Ed. Kathleen Luhrs. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.
Pousette-Dart, Nathaniel (compiler). John Singer Sargent. Distinguished American Artists series. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1924. Internet Archive, from a copy in the Getty Research Institute. Web. 18 February 2026.
Tyrolese Interior. The Met. Web. 18 February 2026.
Created 17 February 2026