John Singer Sargent: The Final Voyage

"Cashmere" by John Singer Sargent

"In April, 1925, John Singer Sargent was once more due to start for America. He had shown no outward sign of ill health. His friends had thought him tired, but he had been pursuing his ordinary life of unrestricted activity. For several days he had been engaged in his preparations, packing, lifting cases, and, in disregard of the protests of his friends, putting on himself a physical strain of much severity. On the evening of the 14th a few of his friends met at 10 Carlyle Mansions for a farewell dinner given by Miss Sargent: Mrs. Ormond, Lady Prothero, the two Misses Barnard, L.A. Harrison, Wilson Steer, Henry Tonks and Nelson Ward.

Sargent was in high spirits, he had dispatched to America the final installment of his decorations for the Museum of Fine Arts and he was spending his last evening with his friends. He acted, as he always did at his sister's parties, as host. The party, as was the custom, broke up at 10:30. The guests said goodbye, with wishes for Sargent's speedy return; and then, after lingering a little with his sister, he drove away.

It was his habit to read before going to sleep. When the maid knocked at his door on the morning of April 15, there was no answer. John Sargent was dead. Beside him lay an open volume of the 'Dictionaire Philosophique' of Voltaire. His glasses had been pushed up over his brow. He had the aspect of one quietly sleeping. Death had come with soundless tread, 'unexpected and unrecognized,' as in January, 1905, he had written of his mother."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "John Sargent" by Evan Charteris.)