John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Astarte, 1893-1894
Oil on canvas, 91 x 60 cm (35 13/16 x 23 5/8 in.)
This narrow vertical oil painting depicts the blue-skinned goddess Astarte in an architectural niche. She stands on a pedestal between two thin gold columns, with a sliver of a crescent moon at her feet. She wears jewels around her neck and a filmy light blue and gold dress and billowing cape, which has leafy gold extensions and appears to envelope human figures. Above the tall crown on her head there is a creature with a large, thimble-shaped brown head, wide eyes and mouth, and outstretched wings. Above the creature’s head is a tangle of forms that appears to include a serpent, human figures, and red fabric. At the top of the niche is a cupola or arch that is dark at the center, decorated around the edge, and topped by a golden disk emitting rays and suspended by a brown form. On the left side of the painting is part of an adjoining niche. At the bottom right of the painting is the artist’s signature.
Blue Room
Commentary
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