The Washington herald., 1907-02-24
SARGEHT'S WORK IS PRAISED
Dr.. Welch, One Of the Subjects, Tells
His Methods in Studio.
Notable Picture Now on Display at
CorcOran Art Gallery Gift 10
Johns Hopkins University.

Among the notable pictures now be-
ing displayed at the Corcoran Gallery
of Art few have attracted more atteu-
ton than the large portrait by Sargent
OF Drs. Osler Welch. Halsted. and
Kelly. "A portrait commissioned by Miss
Mary Garrett OF Baltimore. who pre-.
scented it 10 Johns Hopkins University.
DryWelch. in talking about the sittings
required by Mr.. Sargent, gives an inter
esting and intimate glimpse Of the ia
nous artist at work. He says:
'Dr. Kelly was the first arrival at the
studio, and duripg the next three sit
tiugs Sargent indiscriminately called US
all 'Dr Kelly
The hrst sitting was taken UP with
trial groupings; the following ones
singly and in pairs. The artist talked
necessarily OF everything and smoked
cigarettes continually while he worked.
The holiness and accuracy OF his work
conveys the impression that hc sits
steadily 40 his easel This. however. is
not the case. He walked back and
forth, talking and smoking but when
At the picture his brush work was
rapid and precise. At one OF our group
sittings he seemed In despair, saying:
You all seem SO much alike-four white
dots on canvas. It IS not a picture
With that he approached the canvas
and passed the brush rapidly before IT,
7 have il" he exclaimed There is
big Venetian globe I'm my other studio.
II there are no objections. on medical
grounds. it viii make the portrait "a
picture. / replied that there were no
objections to its introduction, i'm fact.
thought il would be symbolic Of DR.
Oslcr's fame-encircling the earth. At
the first TegTOupiug with the globe
present Sargent exclaimed: 1t is just
what was needed.
1T is interesting TO read the criti-
cisms Of the picture-especiaIIy those
that appeared in the London papers
in the light Of our more intimate
knowledge of its original conception
For instance, the critics said that the
first intention was 20 make it an oblong,
and that q change in the original de
sign neceSsitated piecing the canvas at
tie top That. in short, before its be
ginning it had not been conceived as
whole This is incorrect. The picture
was conceived as it now stands. with
the impr, ssiOu Of space above the fig
ureS, and piecinE the canvas was merely
incidental large enough one not be-
ing at hand. In fact Sargent told us
this at the first sitting. Another mis-
leading comment was that the picture
was distinctly a group of three, the
figure OF Dr. Kelly being too far TO the
right TO be properly a part Of the
group. This was certainly not SaU-
gents intention-the picture itself re-
flutes the comment.
We each averaged two sittings a
week, which, owing TO the artists pcess
of work. he was frequently getting
mixed with the sittings of others. one
of whom was Lord Roberts, who broke
in on us several times. DIR. Osler gave
the artist the most trouble. Sargent
complained frequently that Osler was
idgety- NV head he painted on a sin
gle impression. The present portrait Of
Dr. Osler is the third attempt He did
rot attempt to 'niggle' the first two
into acccptability. but rubbed them out
e9Ch time This reminds me OF the fol-
lowing incident.
II had expressed my delight at GER
tain picture Of GainsbOrOugh's. Sargent
said: Now, there's a man; he did not
attempt to tease a mistake into an ac-
Ceptabie picture. as Reynolds did. bUt
let it 90 honestly as d bad job. Rey-
uolNS was never great enough 10 90
this That Sargent's method leans
toward Gaiusborough this viii serve
to illustrate.
while in Paris / met a friend of Sar-
gents who. on learning that / was to
sit for him. told me that / would have
an opportunity to see a picture the
artist was working on, which, in my
friends estimate, was q masterpiece.
when. expecting a great treat, I asked
Sargent TO show il 10 me- he replied.
Oh, ! rubbed that out
"Sargents affability and unaffected
are engaging, and his bread
interests make him an interesting
talker. He lent to simple incidents OF
the street the same penetration and
humor that attended his remarks on
art. At the time Of our sittings he was
anxious 10 finish his work in London
and get TO SYRIA i'm order TO make
sketches for his unfinished decorations
of the Boston Public Library. which
seemed TO have become a great burden
on his conscience. Contrary to the gen
eral impression that Sargent is difficult
TO sit for, never while beforesh him felt
that 1 was being scrUtinized.'