John Singer Sargent, American, American, 1856-1925
Bringing Down Marble from the Quarries to Carrara, 1911
Carrara Marble has long been thought of a precious material in art, architecture, and more, but the labor and environmental destruction that occurs to acquire this resource is completely opposite from the beauty of the finished product. In Sargent’s painting, he depicts the harsh labor and conditions the workers endure to retrieve the marble from the quarries. In addition, he also displays the environmental harm these processes cause. The landscape is broken apart and continually worn down as more of this rich material is torn from the quarry. Sargent depicts how massive these affects are by utilizing depth in the painting, showing the quarry and its broken pieces going far into the distance. All in all, this piece shows the unseen side of Carrara Marble, where he combines the effects of marble quarrying on workers, as well as on the land in which the quarry is located. Label by Maeve Marsh