Grainger Studies

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Object of desire: Portraits of Percy Grainger from his London period

Gray, Stella (University of Melbourne Library, 2012)

Journal Article

This article looks at five portraits of Percy Grainger from his London period (1901-14), the 'London portraits': one by Rupert Bunny, one by Jacques- Emile Blanche, one by John Singer Sargent and two by Adolph de Meyer. Two are paintings, two are photographs and one is a drawing. Despite the differences in media and technique, they are a particularly interesting group of portraits that warrant comparison, as they represent Grainger during the seminal phase of his career and they all arose from similar circumstances. These portraits reflect the formative nature of Grainger's London years, projecting images that are variously ambiguous and idealising, illustrating both the complex social position Grainger assumed as feted performer for London's upper classes, and the construction of his public profile as a virtuoso pianist. Further, all the artists of the London portraits were of either confirmed or suspected homosexual orientation, a significant factor in their interest in Grainger as a subject, and an important influence on the way they each represented him.