Brush with the Past: Painting Venice through the Eyes of Sargent 2026

Paint the Most Unique City in the World – Venice!

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John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), American expatriate painter, world traveler, and the most celebrated portraitist of the Gilded Age, painted in Venice over the span of thirty years, from 1880 to 1913.  Although his palette and approach to capturing La Serenissima changed over the course of those decades, his vision of Venice, especially his later watercolors painted after his retirement from portrait painting, remains to this day fresh and unconventional, continuing to inspire generations of artists.

During this seven-day workshop, we will sketch and paint in the same locations that Sargent painted plein air, to understand the qualities of form and light that inspired him and other artists in his milieu, and perhaps to experience Venice more intimately for ourselves. Sargent avoided conventional postcard compositions of Venice’s well-known sites, choosing instead a more personal perspective, whether painting from the lower vantage point of the gondola, from within the quiet interior of a lesser-known campo, or capturing the shifting reflections against the stone facade of one of Venice’s many well-known architectural gems.

Each day, I’ll provide at least two live demos at separate locations in watercolor with a touch of gouache, based in part on Sargent’s approaches to composition, color, light and shadow, movement, gesture, and brushwork. I’ll also touch on the works of Turner, and in pastel, those of Monet, and Whistler, who all sketched and painted in Venice as well, and were influential to Sargent’s development. Then you will be able to choose a spot to work from direct observation, and I’ll be there on-site for individual guidance and feedback.

There will also be optional sunrise and sunset locations close to our accommodations to take in the various qualities of light and color at the most dramatic times of the day more independently. I’ll also provide a map and locations for places that might be too small for the entire group to visit together, so that you can choose to visit those locations on your own.

For days of inclement weather, locations will be chosen that are shielded from the elements, or we’ll work from our snapshots in the studio. Interspersed between these lessons, we’ll take in more sights on walking and cultural excursions. The workshop will culminate in a final show in the studio of sketches and paintings generated during our week in Venice.

Accommodations: The week will be spent in a brightly renovated ex-convent on the Zattere in the Dorsoduro sector. When you register, you can choose either a single or double room with an en-suite bathroom in the complex where our studio is.  Rooms are clean and comfortable, but simply furnished.  If you would prefer to find your own accommodations in a nearby hotel or Airbnb, no problem.  Just click that option on the registration page.
We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine at local restaurants or prepared by our personal chef. It will be an ideal place to improve your painting skills.

General Activities: Our first activity will be an orientation at 6 pm on the first day, followed by dinner with the group.  After that, most activities for the week, like museum visits and an intimate walking tour of the back canals of this ancient city, will be organized around the workshop. It’s easy to be independent in this entirely walkable city, but all participants will come together for meals and excursions. Then, at the end of the week, we’ll stage an exhibit of the work to share our personal impressions of enigmatic Venice.

Dinners: During the week, we will have 4 dinners and 1 Sunday lunch together. To experience a good cross-section of typical Venetian cuisine, we will sample diverse neighborhood trattorie, and Michael and Linda will host our group for two home-cooked meals with ingredients we find at the outdoor market. Two nights of the week, you will be on your own to follow your nose to restaurants or concerts or the opera or whatever else might pique your curiosity. There is plenty of time for independent exploration.

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Price: $3,550 p/p
Non-painter partners/friends are always welcome for a reduced fee of $3,250

Options:

• Regular Single Room Supplement with twin bed – $485 (limited number available)
• Large Single Room Supplement with double bed – $525 (limited number available)
• Find Your Own Accommodations – $800 p/p discount

Includes:

• 7 nights at retreat center – double or single (with supplement) room with ensuite bathroom and shower (Note: departure is after breakfast on the final Saturday.  The last class activity will be Friday evening.)
• Daily buffet breakfast and 4 dinners & 1 lunch at local restaurants, including wine
• Workshop tuition, daily classes
• Guided art history tour of Venice with a local art historian
• Selected excursions with class

Price does not include:

• Airfare
• Lunch
• Independent meals and sightseeing
• Workshop materials
• Local transportation: vaporettos, water taxis

To Register:  just click on the Sign Up Now button.  A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop.  Payment can be made on line with a credit card, or you can follow the instructions to send in your registration and payment by mail. Once we receive your deposit, we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program. You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email prior to the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list, and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by August 13th. Any time prior to your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Cancellation policy:  

$500 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellation:

• 60 days prior to workshop, full refund due less non-refundable deposit.
• 30-60 days prior to workshop, 50% refund of balance paid allowed, less non-refundable deposit.

Less than 30 days prior to workshop, no refund due.
Il Chiostro recommends personal travel insurance to cover the possibility of unexpected or last-minute cancellation.

Contact us for more information: info@ilchiostro.com or speak to us live at 800-990-3506.