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Robert Louis Stevenson
John Singer Sargent American
Not on view
This is the third of Sargent’s portraits of Stevenson (1850–1894). Like the double portrait nearby, it was painted in Stevenson’s home in Bournemouth, England. Unlike in the previous portrait, Stevenson, who was in frail health at the time, is still and centered within the confines of the vertical canvas. He is anchored in the stable wicker chair, though his lankiness remains evident in his long, crossed legs, which extend to the edge of the frame. Amid this stillness, Sargent painted the lush carpet with energetic dabs. Boston banker Charles Fairchild commissioned the work as a gift for his wife, an ardent fan of the author.
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