Henry James

Henry James

by John Singer Sargent
oil on canvas, 1913
33 1/2 in. x 26 1/2 in. (851 mm x 673 mm)
Bequeathed by Henry James, 1916
Primary Collection
NPG 1767

Sitter

Henry James (1843-1916), Novelist. Sitter in 14 portraits.

Artist

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Portrait and landscape painter and muralist. Artist associated with 61 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This Portrait

The American-born novelist Henry James settled in England, at Lamb House, Rye, in 1898. By the time this portrait was painted he was at the end of a career which had seen the success of early novels such as Portrait of a Lady (1881), followed by the late masterpieces The Wings of the Dove (1902) and The Golden Bowl (1904). This portrait was commissioned to celebrate James's seventieth birthday by a group of 269 subscribers organised by the American novelist Edith Wharton, although ultimately Sargent, a fellow American and friend, waived his fee. When it was completed James pronounced the portrait to be 'a living breathing likeness and a masterpiece of painting'.

Related Works

NPG D9807: Henry James (source portrait)
NPG D36465: Henry James (source portrait)
NPG D36466: Henry James (source portrait)

Linked Publications

Sound Guide
Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 38
Cooper, John, Visitor's Guide, 2000, p. 85
Cooper, John, A Guide to the National Portrait Gallery, 2009, p. 45
Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery collection, 1996, p. 38
Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 333

Subject/Theme

Portraits with Archive documents