Brigadier Archibald Campbell Douglas

The painting of the Brigadier Archibald by John Singer Sargent showed the skills put in place to deliver a great portrait. The portrait showed all the features of the Sargent and how he stood with authority and had a say in society.

The portrait of Brigadier Archibald Campbell Douglas used realism technique and was created in 1886. Realism is a style of painting that shows the real features of a person or the whole person being painted. Realism was used to paint portraits of famous people or people who wanted a real-life painting of themselves. In realism style, there is no use of additional materials or landscape features to bring out the beauty of the painting. The artist painted was in front of his eyes with no additional decorations.

The Brigadier Archibald Campbell Douglas portrait was painted using oil and canvas. John Singer Sargent used oil and canvas to paint all his paintings as they showed the contrast between the colours. This can be seen in the painting where he shows all the features of Brigadier Archibald Campbell Douglas. His mother in law commissioned this painting of the Brigadier Archibald Campbell Douglas. The painting captured his stun look and sharp eyes. This made his family feel safer and as if he was right there with them when he was away.

The painting of Brigadier Archibald Campbell is part of a private collection. The painting shows a stun looking man holding a cane with his hands. The man shows seriousness and authority in his face, the look on his face; he shows he has confidence and is a protector of his family.

John Singer Sargent was a well-known artist of his generations with his love for portraits. High society figures and government officials commissioned most of his portraits. He was inspired by the works of Diego Velazquez and Anthony Van Dyck, and he updated their work to fit his artistic style. The artist had a keen eye in making the portraits stand out and show the features of the people he painted. This portrait shows the Brigadier as a strong man with many responsibilities. Realism technique was prominent in 19th century and was utilised by many artists.