Studies for "Gassed"

Studies for "Gassed" by John Singer Sargent, created between 1918 and 1919, is a powerful drawing executed in charcoal with graphite on laid paper. This study served as preparatory material for the artist's monumental oil painting, also titled Gassed, commissioned by the British government for the Hall of Remembrance to document the physical and psychological toll of World War I. Sargent, primarily known for his glamorous society portraits, spent the final years of the 1910s at the front lines, capturing the devastation of the conflict.

Using the immediacy of charcoal and the precise detail of graphite, Sargent captures the movement and trauma of soldiers blinded by mustard gas attempting to navigate a dressing station. The texture of the laid paper enhances the rough, observational quality required for field sketching. This drawing focuses intently on the figures struggling forward in a continuous, linked line, relying on comradeship for guidance. Sargent’s technique here emphasizes rapid, affective observation over highly finished detail, establishing the visceral emotional weight central to the finished canvas.

This significant drawing falls within the 1901 to 1925 period, representing a critical shift in the American artist's focus late in his career toward historical documentary art. Although Sargent spent much of his career working in Europe, the work belongs firmly to the American cultural output reflecting the impact of global conflict. The original study resides in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its historical importance and the renown of the artist, high-resolution images and fine art prints of this seminal work are frequently made available through public domain initiatives and museum collaborations, allowing wider access to Sargent’s somber documentation of the Great War.