Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
W. Graham Robertson
John Singer Sargent American
Not on view
W. Graham Robertson (1866–1948) was an artist and a gifted illustrator of children’s books. He also designed sets and stage costumes for actors Sarah Bernhardt and Ellen Terry and later became a successful playwright.
The portrait, one of the artist’s masterpieces, was painted at Sargent’s request. He had been struck by Robertson’s appearance, calling him "so paintable." Though Robertson was twenty-eight years old at the time, Sargent accentuates his youthful appearance, depicting him as the quintessential dandy, with an elegant, patrician air, chesterfield overcoat, jade-topped cane, and poodle companion. When he objected to wearing an overcoat during the summer, Sargent replied, "But the coat is the picture."
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