Skip to main content
Menu

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Henry James, 1913

John Singer Sargent

The author Henry James (1843–1916) is remembered for his novels that explore the conflict between American and European attitudes, such as The Portrait of a Lady (1881). His compatriot John Singer Sargent was born in Florence to American expatriates, and later moved to England, establishing himself as the leading portrait painter of his generation. James and Sargent were good friends and their closeness perhaps explains the difficulty Sargent found in executing his portrait. He had portrayed James three times previously, but remained dissatisfied with his efforts.

This portrait was commissioned to celebrate James’ seventieth birthday. When it was completed James pronounced the portrait to be ‘a living breathing likeness and a masterpiece of painting’. The portrait achieved notoriety while on display at the Royal Academy in 1914 because it was slashed by Mrs Mary Wood, a militant suffragette. Although it was fully restored by the artist, the tears in the canvas can still be discerned.

National Portrait Gallery, London Bequeathed by Henry James, 1916
© National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency