Artwork
Dr. Pozzi at Home
Dr. Pozzi at Home is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1891 and is held in the collection of the Hammer Museum.
About this work
Overview
John Singer Sargent’s 1881 oil work portrays French gynecologist and collector Samuel Jean de Pozzi in a full‑length format. Measuring just over two metres in height and a little more than a metre in width, the canvas presents the sitter in a vivid red robe against a similarly saturated background, creating a striking visual presence that marked Sargent’s early foray into large male portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures de Pozzi at home, emphasizing his professional stature and personal taste. The elaborate white ruffles framing his neck and wrists, along with his poised stance—left hand on hip, right hand resting on his chest—convey a blend of confidence and refinement, reflecting the physician’s status as both a medical authority and a cultured patron of the arts.
Technique & Style
Sargent employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing the luminous folds of the red garment with deep shadows that model the figure’s volume. The rich, saturated palette and fluid brushwork highlight the texture of the fabric while the background’s uniform hue isolates the sitter, reinforcing his prominence within the composition.
History & Provenance
First exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, the painting introduced Sargent’s capability in handling monumental male portraits. After changing hands over the decades, it entered the collection of industrialist Armand Hammer in 1967. The work has been housed in Los Angeles’s Hammer Museum since 1991, where it remains on public view.
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Artist & collection
Artist
John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury.
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