Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Lawrence Barrett

John Singer Sargent American

Not on view

Actor Edwin Booth commissioned portraits of contemporary luminaries of the American stage, including this one of Lawrence Barrett (1838–1891), for the Players Club in New York. Barrett began performing as a teenager and gradually developed a career as a leading actor. His deliberate and thoughtful acting style gave him a stage presence suited to tragic, complex, and manipulative parts. He was particularly brilliant in the role of Cassius in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In this portrait, Sargent reveals no evidence of Barrett’s failing health. His piercing, direct gaze and crossed arms suggest his stoic self-confidence.

Lawrence Barrett, John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London), Oil on canvas, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.