1882 (ca.), John Singer Sargent, Leaving Church, Campo San Canciano, Venice -- Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington) (special exhibition)

Here Sargent takes us deep into Venice’s interior maze of alleys and quiet corners, presenting a trio of young women crossing a small campo (local dialect for square) outside a modest neighborhood church. He frames the scene with no recognizable landmarks, giving the impression of a random vignette observed in passing. Preparatory sketches and watercolors reveal, however, that Sargent carefully planned many of his Venetian subjects and hired models. With purposeful choices, he builds a fantasy of an unscripted stroll beyond the well-trodden sights in guidebooks.

Done