The Aqueduct - William Sartain

William Sartain (1843 -1924) left for Paris after the Civil War to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He joined any number of other young artists from the United States who were quite tired of the conservative and provincial practices of the established art world here in America. But Paris didn't provide enough interest for Sartain's taste in landscape, so he sought adventure in Algiers, sketching both the countryside and sights of the towns.

The Aqueduct was inspired by that trip and clearly shows the fascination that many nineteenth century artists had for the exotic. This is a moody piece and one we chose for the week here and in the April Poetry Challenge. We can only guess where this woman was going and what she was thinking, just as we can only guess where the week will take us. However, unlike the enigma of the painting. the outcome of the week will be known in six more days.