Hylda, Daughter of Asher and Mrs Wertheimer

Hylda, Daughter of Asher and Mrs Wertheimer of 1901 is one of the most formally inventive of the Wertheimer series — Hylda is presented with an easiness and elegance that suggests Sargent's complete comfort with the family after years of work for them. Her portrait forms part of the complete generational documentation of this Anglo-Jewish family that Asher Wertheimer commissioned as a form of permanent record. Hylda's portrait was among those bequeathed to the National Gallery (now at Tate) and has been central to reassessments of Sargent's relationship to his Jewish sitters.

The composition of Hylda's portrait is characteristically Sargentian — the figure placed with apparent ease that belies careful compositional thought. The handling of her dress and any accessories demonstrates his complete technical command. The face is animated and specific, capturing a personality rather than a social type. Warm, interior light unifies the composition.