The Rt. Reverend William Lawrence

The Rt. Reverend William Lawrence is a distinguished portrait drawing created by John Singer Sargent in 1916. Executed in charcoal on laid paper, this work exemplifies the artist’s mastery of draftsmanship and his shift away from the demands of grand society oil painting toward a more immediate and expressive medium in his later career. Sargent produced hundreds of charcoal portraits between 1907 and his death in 1925, capturing the likenesses of prominent American and European figures.

The subject, William Lawrence (1850-1941), served as the influential Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts for three decades, known widely for his role in managing the financial affairs of the church and overseeing the construction of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Sargent captures the Rt. Reverend with economy and precision; the charcoal lines are confidently applied, defining the Bishop’s posture and conveying a thoughtful, perhaps serious, demeanor appropriate for the subject’s station. The stark contrast afforded by the black charcoal on the textured laid paper allows for rapid modeling of form and strong suggestion of character.

This work stands as an important example of American portraiture from the period of 1901 to 1925, demonstrating how Sargent utilized simple materials to maintain his reputation as the foremost portraitist of his age. The ease and speed of the charcoal technique suited the quickened pace of the modern era, providing detailed records of influential individuals for posterity. Held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, this drawing helps document Sargent’s prolific output during his final decade. As a historical piece of visual culture, high-quality prints and documentation related to this drawing are frequently made available through various public domain initiatives.