Sir Charles Loch, 1849 - 1923. Social worker

Sir Charles Loch was the long-serving secretary of the Charity Organisation Society and a major figure in Victorian and Edwardian social welfare administration, a man whose work in rationalizing charitable giving shaped British social policy for decades. Sargent's 1901 portrait, now at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, captures this influential but decidedly unglamorous figure with characteristic psychological penetration. Loch's plain, determined face gave Sargent a very different subject from his usual aristocratic commissions, and the portrait is notable for its quiet restraint compared to his more spectacular society work.

Sargent renders Loch's face with careful attention to its strong, angular character. The background is broadly handled in dark tones; the suit is indicated with economical sweeping strokes. All painterly attention concentrates on the face, which is modelled with Sargent's most precise observation.