Portrait of Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour
John Singer Sargent
- Art Funded
- 2002
- Dimensions
- 256.5 x 147.3 cm
- Vendor
- Carlton Club
Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930) was a pivotal figure in British politics from the 1880s to the late 1920s.
He was Prime Minister from 1902-1905. During his time as Foreign Secretary from 1916-1919 he oversaw the Balfour Declaration which supported the establishment of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Sargent portrays him as a sad philosopher and a sad statesman. This work was acquired with assistance from the Wolfson Foundation.
Provenance
Commissioned by the Carlton Club, London.