¡°In Capri, housetops are the world,¡± wrote John Singer Sargent. Capri Girl on Rooftop is one of several scenes he painted of rooftop activities such as dancing, painting, and entertaining. The main figure is Rosina Ferrara, a favorite model of many artists known for her beauty. She dances the tarantella, a traditional folk dance about love, and is silhouetted against a setting sky. Sargent does not rely on a sentimental narrative of Capri, but rather focuses on color, light, and composition to evoke a mood. Title Capri Girl on a Rooftop Creator John Singer Sargent Date Created 1878 Physical Dimensions 20 x 25 in. (50.8 x 63.5 cm) Provenance given by the Artist to Frances Sherburne Ridley Watts [1858-1927], 1907; by descent to Baroness d'Aubas de Gratiollet (her goddaughter), Kent, England, 1927; (Coe Kerr Gallery, New York, NY), 1981; Beverly J. Gelfand and Herbert M. Gelfand, Beverly Hills, CA, 1981; (Coe Kerr Gallery and Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, NY), 1982; purchased by Gulf States Paper Corporation, name changed to Westervelt Company, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1983; to (Christie's, New York, NY), 2011; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2011 Subject Keywords women Rights Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. Medium Oil on canvas
