English, London
"The Author and His Pet Dog - A Recent Photograph", about 1916
Ink on paper, 14.6 x 11.4 cm (5 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.)
This newspaper clipping contains an article and a photograph of Henry James. He is seen sitting in a large woven rattan chair facing the viewer with his dog on his lap. He is light-skinned with a receding hairline, a large nose and his eyes are cast downward looking at the dog in his lap. He wears a dark suit jacket that appears to be made of plush fabric, a white collared shirt, dark tie, light gray pants and shiny black leather shoes. The dog appears with its legs on his lap and cuddles his head against Mr. James’s chest. This image was taken in a lush outdoor setting with a white latticework fence and white column in the background.
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner saved newspaper articles about her friends and displayed them in cases throughout her museum. This photograph of Henry James was published shortly after his death in 1916 and depicts the author seated outdoors in a wicker chair, a small dog climbing on his lap. James’s tender expression toward the puppy as it snuggles against his dark suit jacket reveals a softer side of the writer known as “the Master.”