John Singer Sargent: Fulham Studio

John Singer Sargent's Fulham Road Studio

"At the end of 1895, finding the calls on his time in London had grown so pressing, John Singer Sargent determined to take another studio in which to continue his Boston decorations. Accordingly, he gave up residing at Morgan Hall with the Abbeys and took a twenty-one years' lease of 12 and 14, The Avenue, Fulham Road. For the rest of his life when in London the great part of his time was spent in the large studio, which, with an adjoining room where he worked at the architectural part of his decorations, comprised the new premises. They lay removed from the thoroughfare with an unwelcoming approach through a backyard. Here he could withdraw from the world and admit visitor or not as he liked. 

An unanswered rap on the door was no proof that Sargent was not within. If he answered, it was invariably in his shirt-sleeves, generally with a cigarette in his mouth, and always with a robust welcome. Scores of pencil studies lay about and vast canvases were in position against the wall, and with regard to these he was always curious to hear the views of a layman, and ready to discuss his criticism and approval. The contents of his workshop next door, where he worked out problems of lighting and calculations of architectural proportion and geometrical relations, were much more recondite. Here the amateur could only display a totally unintelligent interest. His famous picture 'Gassed' was painted at Fulham Road, also the Generals of the War and the decorations of Boston. He also built a 1/3 scale model of the Boston Library commission to help him envisage the scheme as it developed, the whole structure assembled on wheels and moved about the studio by means of a system of chains and pulleys. 

Some years later, when sated with painting portraits, he wrote to Ralph Curtis: 

'No more 'paughtraits' whether refreshed or not. I abhor and abjure them and hope never to do another especially of the Upper Classes. I have weakly compromised and lately done a lot of mugs in coke and charcoal and am sick of that too, although occasionally the brief operation has been painless. I am winding up my worldly affairs in that line and now I shall be able to paint nothing but Jehovah in Fulham Road...'

To be continued

(Excerpts from "John Sargent" by Evan Charteris.)