El Jaleo By John Singer Sargent: Museum Analysis

Museums are a place where one can see a collection of rare pieces; it is a house of historical and valuable pieces of history. When I arrived at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the outside structure of the building was an architectural piece of art in itself. The walls are windows to the outside giving an 180 view bringing the outside in. When I got inside the museum and walked through the hallway of windows to the museum, I was taken into another era. The light and airy hallways were replaced with stone walls of a dark and mysterious until I see the courtyard full of lavish greenery. This setup and first impression allowed me to take a step back and immerse myself in the art and culture within it.
Isabella Stewart Gardner grew up in New
Sargent created this piece to express his “love of Gypsy music, dance, and picturesque costumes” inspired by his five-month trip through Spain and North Africa in 1879. Sargent named his piece El Jaleo to suggest the name of a dance, the jaleo de Jerez and counting on the broader meaning jaleo, which means ruckus. The painting's other title, El Jaleo: Danse des gitanes, meaning “Dance of the Gypsies”, was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882. The painting is almost 12 feet wide and appears to be mostly monochromatic with the exception of some reds off to the side. The black and grays of the piece seem to give the piece a darker vibe to a more free event. From the painting, I remember seeing the movement in the piece with the woman dancing and the people in the background playing their guitars. Before researching what the meaning behind this painting was my initial reaction was a dance scene. It illustrates a group of musicians provides the rhythm for a dancer who seems to be performing. It seems to be a snapshot of a dance, a moment that has energy and drama. The perspective lighting evokes a haunting silhouette on the wall that portrays passion and depth. The contrasts between gloomy shadows and bright illumination allow the painting to visually to be memorable and make a