Robert Louis Stevenson 1887

John Singer Sargent painted Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed Scottish novelist, in oil on canvas at Bournemouth, England. Sargent, an American expatriate artist, captured Stevenson at a time when literary figures held a unique status in society. Stevenson was celebrated as a writer who gave a voice to the emerging psychological complexities of modern life, through works like 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. Sargent presents Stevenson in an informal domestic setting, yet subtly elevates him through his pose and the careful composition, with the dark tones contrasting against the cream and beige background. This painting, made for the domestic gaze, reflects a shift towards a cult of celebrity and the rise of the individual in late 19th-century society. To understand this period, one might turn to period literature, biographies, and social histories. The study of such cultural documents helps us appreciate how Sargent’s art captured the spirit of its time.