Object details
Accession number
ARC.003956
Primary Creator
John Singer Sargent
(Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Full title
Letter to Isabella Stewart Gardner from 17B Eldon Row, South Kensington
Creation Date
1886
Object Case
Sargent / Whistler Case
Language
English
Dimensions
17.6 x 22.5 cm (6 15/16 x 8 7/8 in.)
Display Media
Ink on paper
Web Commentary
In this letter of introduction, John Singer Sargent presents himself to his future patron with extraordinary care: “Ralph Curtis & Henry James have both told me of your arrival and authorized me to call on you, which I have the greatest desire to do. . . . James told me that on Wednesday afternoon he proposed taking you to the Academy [the Royal Academy of Arts] & Grosvenor [a gallery of contemporary art in London], and it was proposed that afterward he might bring you to my studio, if you felt inclined.” The young painter’s eagerness is unmistakable throughout these polite inquiries, which initiated their lasting friendship.
Permanent Gallery Location
Long Gallery
Rights and reproductions
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