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Sir William Blake Richmond 1842–1921
One of the most successful English artists of his day, William Blake Richmond worked in a variety of media, including sculpture, stained glass, mosaic, and painting. He is best known for his portraits of eminent contemporaries and for the ambitious group of mosaics he designed for St. Paul's Cathedral in London, which revived centuries-old techniques used in Byzantine churches. Richmond's love of color and light spurred his side career as an outspoken clean-air activist. In 1898, he founded the Coal Abatement Society, which remains active over 120 years later as Environmental Protection UK.
Richmond and Sargent were friends, and this drawing was probably made in October 1910, when they were both staying at a villa near Florence, Italy. Richmond was then in considerable pain, suffering from a protracted bout of rheumatic fever. Sargent portrayed him in a convalescent mode, wrapped in a large overcoat, against the chill autumn air.
Charcoal on paper, c. 1910
Lent by the National Portrait Gallery, London
This is the National Portrait Gallery sign in the exhibit. |