Fleece Throw: El Jaleo

El Jaleo

1882
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925

Sargent’s monumental painting, based on drawings he made in southern Spain in 1879, is named for an Andalusian dance and is roughly translated as “the ruckus.” This is a painting you can hear as well as see: heels clicking, fingers snapping, hands clapping, the sounds of singing and guitars.

The idea for this dramatic installation dates from 1914, when Gardner decided to remodel this side of the museum. She replaced the two-story music room that originally occupied this space with three galleries on the first floor (the Spanish Chapel, Spanish Cloister, and Chinese Loggia) and the spacious Tapestry Room on the second floor. Remarkably, El Jaleo didn’t even belong to Gardner at this point—it was owned by her relative through marriage, T. Jefferson Coolidge. When Coolidge saw the extraordinary custom-made setting, he apparently gave her the painting on the spot.

 
This throw features Sargent's El Jaleo, located in the Spanish Cloister of the Museum. The lap blanket's outside displays a phenomenally clear reproduction of Sargent's painting on plush silk-touch microfiber fleece and a Sherpa fleece underside.

Measures approximately 4 x 5 feet
Made in the US