JOHN SINGER SARGENT | Alexander Henry Higginson

Alexander Henry Higginson (the sitter; commissioned from the artist)
By descent to the present owner (his niece) 

David McKibbin, Sargent's Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, 1956, p. 102
Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, John Singer Sargent: The Later Portraits, vol. III, New Haven, Connecticut, p. 108

The sheet is toned overall and there are scattered surface scratches. There is a pinhole at center of man's forehead and an approximate 1 inch horizontal tear to the left of man's ear in black background. There are a few pindots of possible foxing in the background.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Alexander Henry Higginson was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1876 to Major Henry Lee and Ida Agassiz Higginson. His father was a prominent businessman and patron of the arts in the city, donating the land and money for Harvard University’s Soldier Field and establishing the Boston Symphony. After attending Harvard University like his father, Alexander established a career as an author, foxhunter and racehorse breeder.

This charcoal has been reviewed accepted as a genuine work of the artist by the John Singer Sargent Catalogue Raisonné Committee.