Artwork
Studies for "Gassed" [recto]
![Studies for "Gassed" [recto], by John Singer Sargent, charcoal, 1918](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--studies-for-gassed-recto--1cd4a47eb68752d0-w1024.webp)
Studies for "Gassed" [recto] is a charcoal drawing by John Singer Sargent. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
John Singer Sargent’s drawing titled *Studies for “Gassed”* is a charcoal work on laid paper. Executed as a preparatory study, it records two soldiers captured in the act of moving, one leaning forward and the other recoiling backward, each frozen in a moment of motion.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch presents a pair of military figures whose gestures suggest the tension of battlefield activity. Their postures, combined with the informal rendering of equipment such as a loosely hanging bag, hint at the chaotic, urgent conditions faced by soldiers during combat.
Technique & Style
Sargent employs swift, gestural charcoal strokes that convey kinetic energy. The laid paper’s pronounced texture accentuates the marks, allowing the lines to stand out as if outlining underlying muscle and tension. The drawing’s loose handling emphasizes immediacy over precise detail.
History & Provenance
Created as a preparatory study for Sargent’s larger composition “Gassed,” the work is part of the artist’s World War I series. It is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is displayed alongside related studies.
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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.
Studies for "Gassed"![Studies for "Gassed" [recto], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--studies-for-gassed-recto--bf7797882a33859c-w320.webp)
Studies for "Gassed" [recto]
Studies for "Gassed"![Studies for "Entering the War" [recto], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--studies-for-entering-the-war-recto--358a2c3ea8bd7639-w320.webp)
Studies for "Entering the War" [recto]
Studies of a Soldier Drinking, for Gassed (recto)
Studies for "Gassed"
Studies for "Gassed"
Studies for "General Officers of World War I"![Studies of Generals Plumer and Haig for "General Officers of World War I" [recto], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--studies-of-generals-plumer-and-haig-for-general-officers-of--f81e6239baa10734-w320.webp)
Studies of Generals Plumer and Haig for "General Officers of World War I" [recto]