Who painted Devastated Trees [verso]?

Devastated Trees [verso] was painted by John Singer Sargent in 1918.

Where can I see Devastated Trees [verso]?

Devastated Trees [verso] is held by National Gallery of Art.

Artwork

Devastated Trees [verso]

John Singer Sargent , 1918

Devastated Trees [verso] is a graphite drawing by John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

John Singer Sargent’s drawing titled Devastated Trees (verso) is a graphite work on wove paper measuring roughly 25 by 36 centimeters. The piece is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection and presents a stark, treeless landscape under a somber sky.

Subject & Meaning

The composition portrays a field of leaf‑less trunks, their stark silhouettes rendered against a darkened horizon. The barren forms, rendered with an almost skeletal quality, evoke the aftermath of conflict and the sense of a landscape stripped of vitality.

Technique & Style

Executed in graphite, the drawing relies on sharp, scratchy lines that define the trunks and their shadows. Light is suggested by brief highlights on select trunks, while the majority of the forms recede into deep shadow, giving the work a raw, unfinished appearance.

History & Provenance

Created in 1918, the drawing was produced during the final months of World War I, a period when Sargent spent extensive time in France making sketches of war‑torn terrain. The work later entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, where it remains on display.

Artist & collection

Artist

John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury.

Museum

National Gallery of Art

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