On loan to The Met 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.
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