Pavement, Cairo

One of a group of oil sketches associated with John Singer Sargent's travels to Egypt in 1891, this painting depicts the Mosque of Sulayman Pasha al-Khadim within Cairo's citadel complex. Built in 1528, the mosque is considered the first Ottoman-style mosque in Egypt. Using quick brushstrokes and an array of muted colors, Sargent captures the interior courtyard at a tranquil moment. He chose a low vantage point that emphasizes the intricate stonework of the inlaid marble floor, from which the painting takes its title. The loose, sketch-like handling is characteristic of the studies Sargent made while traveling, away from the demands of his formal portrait commissions. The work was long known as 'Pavement, Jerusalem' before being correctly identified with its Cairo subject.