Max Kozloff Reflects on John Singer Sargent's 'Gassed' a Century After Its Creation

In 1919, 'Gassed,' a painting by John Singer Sargent, was showcased at the Imperial War Museum in London. This nine-by-twenty-one-foot artwork illustrates British soldiers who have been blinded by mustard gas during World War I, a scene Sargent observed in 1918 while serving as an official war artist. Art critic Max Kozloff examined Sargent's evolution from a society portraitist to a war artist. Sargent (1856-1925), an American expatriate, initially rose to prominence with flattering portraits, while his later public commissions adopted allegorical styles with nude figures. Kozloff highlights the stark contrast between Sargent's genteel works and the intense power of 'Gassed,' which he considers possibly the pinnacle of Sargent's career. The painting was also part of the 2016 exhibition 'World War One and American Art,' where Kozloff noted its monumental composition and existential message.