Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer

Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer, was British Agent and Consul-General in Egypt from 1883 to 1907, the effective ruler of Egypt under nominal Ottoman-Egyptian sovereignty and one of the most powerful imperial administrators of the late Victorian era. Sargent's 1902 portrait captures this formidable figure at the height of his authority. Cromer's angular, commanding presence gave Sargent a memorable subject, and the portrait is one of his more psychologically intense official commissions. The work hangs at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Sargent gives Cromer a commanding, slightly intimidating presence — the strong-featured face rendered with precise tonal modelling, the dark suit with swift, assured strokes. The background is broadly handled in dark tones. Sargent reserves his most focused attention for the eyes and the characteristic set of the jaw.