I would have paid to have you been my tour guide! I just finished the WRONG KIND of WOMAN and hope the Sargent Siblings is published. You are a wonderful writer and, I suspect, tour guide.
How interesting! I should def go see that exhibit...my time is running out. I love the backstories about how books get published, and while your first one about the Sargent's didn't sell, the next one did (isn't that so often the case? I have one of those!) And you do have SO much knowledge about the Sargent's (btw, I loved the title Also Emily, His Sister - brilliant!)...maybe you are not done with them yet...
Love this post Sarah, and I can't wait to see the Singer Sargent exhibition when it comes to London. I want to write something about his 1915 portrait of Francis Jenkinson, Cambridge University Librarian, which is so intriguing too.
I love Sargent and when your book is published, I definitely want to read it. His portraits capture the essence of the person and it’s better than a photo in my opinion. Was he close with Elizabeth Stewart Gardner? I have a book of his works and love the Lily garden. His works are instantly recognizable and I appreciate your write up of the show at the MFA. I almost forgot about it . Thank you . Love all your posts!!!
Sarah-what a fabulous essay. I love knowing these cool details about the Sargent siblings and, especially, their connection to your own writing journey. One does not learn to write a beautiful novel like the WRONG KIND OF WOMAN through a weekend creative writing class! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing these insights.
I had no idea what an amazing and complicated life Sargent had! Thanks so much for this illuminating piece. I have adored his portraits forever. Since you were there with your daughter, I'm reminded of my favorite Sargent:
I saw this painting when I was visiting Boston for the first time (Cambridge, as I'd accompanied a friend who was checking out MIT, which he would eventually attend), back when I was a senior in high school. I fell in love with it then, and I still love it. I see they have loaned it out to the Tate -- due back on July 7th. Next time I'm in the area, I'm totally going to see it again. :) FYI, there's a great story about the creation of this painting here:
Seconding the serialising now that I’ve made it over here to read the piece ... but I wanted to read it on the name of Sargent alone ... was there no more comment than “too quiet”?
So many things here I never knew. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge. I would love to read your novel. I spent many hours at the MFA in the early 70s, taking the bus from NH. It was my dream school but I was discouraged by my parents who worried about the ability to "make a living" in art. They weren't wrong and I wasn't headstrong enough to make it happen. I wish I could see this exhibit but now on the west coast, it won't happen this go around.
I loved this too-- so many great details but also the overarching frame about similarity and difference-- between books or siblings or art-making. I hope you return to the Emily book too! Maybe as a biography? There's lots of precedent for surprising and successful books like that about lesser-known siblings (usually female, of course)-- like Jill Lepore's on Jane Franklin. Or the classic on Alice James, who would be relevant here. You've got a lot of readers clamoring for it!
I dragged my family from the Midwest to Washington, D.C. in 1999 to see the Sargent exhibit at the National Gallery. (Did all the Mall museums, White House, memorials, National Archives etc. and drove my kids completely nuts but they survived). I brought home two posters and had them expensively framed. Repose is at home above the loveseat in my den; the Boit sisters are at the foot of my staircase.
Really wanted to see the Boston exhibit but not a good time for it.
Thanks for this story! So exciting to learn about Emily. I hope your “quiet” book will slip out of hiding and speak freely.
I would have paid to have you been my tour guide! I just finished the WRONG KIND of WOMAN and hope the Sargent Siblings is published. You are a wonderful writer and, I suspect, tour guide.
I LOVE quiet books and so do many people. So frustrating. I loved this post.
How interesting! I should def go see that exhibit...my time is running out. I love the backstories about how books get published, and while your first one about the Sargent's didn't sell, the next one did (isn't that so often the case? I have one of those!) And you do have SO much knowledge about the Sargent's (btw, I loved the title Also Emily, His Sister - brilliant!)...maybe you are not done with them yet...
Great post, and your Sargent novel gets a vote from me. I’m so tired of the hook mentality. Quiet books deserve room on our shelves.
Love this post Sarah, and I can't wait to see the Singer Sargent exhibition when it comes to London. I want to write something about his 1915 portrait of Francis Jenkinson, Cambridge University Librarian, which is so intriguing too.
Love this perspective and the knowledge that all that writing was worthwhile. I hope it is someday published. Yay for quiet novels.
I love Sargent and when your book is published, I definitely want to read it. His portraits capture the essence of the person and it’s better than a photo in my opinion. Was he close with Elizabeth Stewart Gardner? I have a book of his works and love the Lily garden. His works are instantly recognizable and I appreciate your write up of the show at the MFA. I almost forgot about it . Thank you . Love all your posts!!!
Your fan, Cathy Yi
Sarah-what a fabulous essay. I love knowing these cool details about the Sargent siblings and, especially, their connection to your own writing journey. One does not learn to write a beautiful novel like the WRONG KIND OF WOMAN through a weekend creative writing class! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing these insights.
I had no idea what an amazing and complicated life Sargent had! Thanks so much for this illuminating piece. I have adored his portraits forever. Since you were there with your daughter, I'm reminded of my favorite Sargent:
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/33862/mrs-fiske-warren-gretchen-osgood-and-her-daughter-rachel
I saw this painting when I was visiting Boston for the first time (Cambridge, as I'd accompanied a friend who was checking out MIT, which he would eventually attend), back when I was a senior in high school. I fell in love with it then, and I still love it. I see they have loaned it out to the Tate -- due back on July 7th. Next time I'm in the area, I'm totally going to see it again. :) FYI, there's a great story about the creation of this painting here:
https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/whos-laughing-gothic-room
So cool that you actually get to see the actual mom and daughter through the black and white photograph!
Seconding the serialising now that I’ve made it over here to read the piece ... but I wanted to read it on the name of Sargent alone ... was there no more comment than “too quiet”?
Maybe you should consider serializing the Sargent novel here on Substack. I love a quiet book.
"Too quiet"--ugh! Been there. But loved your exploration here of the Sargents, their work, and portraiture over all.
So many things here I never knew. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge. I would love to read your novel. I spent many hours at the MFA in the early 70s, taking the bus from NH. It was my dream school but I was discouraged by my parents who worried about the ability to "make a living" in art. They weren't wrong and I wasn't headstrong enough to make it happen. I wish I could see this exhibit but now on the west coast, it won't happen this go around.
I loved this too-- so many great details but also the overarching frame about similarity and difference-- between books or siblings or art-making. I hope you return to the Emily book too! Maybe as a biography? There's lots of precedent for surprising and successful books like that about lesser-known siblings (usually female, of course)-- like Jill Lepore's on Jane Franklin. Or the classic on Alice James, who would be relevant here. You've got a lot of readers clamoring for it!
I dragged my family from the Midwest to Washington, D.C. in 1999 to see the Sargent exhibit at the National Gallery. (Did all the Mall museums, White House, memorials, National Archives etc. and drove my kids completely nuts but they survived). I brought home two posters and had them expensively framed. Repose is at home above the loveseat in my den; the Boit sisters are at the foot of my staircase.
Really wanted to see the Boston exhibit but not a good time for it.
Thanks for this story! So exciting to learn about Emily. I hope your “quiet” book will slip out of hiding and speak freely.
I love this post and want to read a version of that unsold novel!! I hope you will come back to it! Can you revise it as a biography???