SARGENT (John Singer, 1856-1925, American Artist)

Autograph Letter Signed 'John S. Sargent' to the painter F.O. 'Frank' SALISBURY (1874-1962), with transcription, saying he is "leaving tomorrow morning for 4 months absence abroad so that I can do nothing until next Winter about your candidature to the Academy - I will attend to it then unless you wish to be put down sooner by some one who is still here - The photo of Boldini's portrait of Whistler", (1897, now in the Brooklyn Museum), "hangs in ... my studio 12, the Avenue, Fulham Road - you could get in by arranging with E. Powell, the old caretaker, who lives at 10 Onslow Dwellings, Pond Place, Fulham. Show him this", Sargent "had a letter the other day from the Town Clerk of the Chelsea Town Hall, enquiring on behalf of a Committee how your panel and the others were progressing", 2 sides card 3½" x 4½", 31 Tite Street, Chelsea, 'Friday 26' no date but July two neat filing holes on side 1, one touching one letter, easily supplied, surface of side 2 defective at right hand edge with loss of a letter or two at the end of several lines, nearly all easily supplied, remaining text and signature unaffected
(Transcription)
Friday 26 -
31 Tite Street.
Chelsea. S.W.
Dear Mr Salisbury
I am leaving tomorrow morning for 4 months absence abroad so that I can do nothing until next Winter about your candidature to the Academy - I will attend to it then unless you wish to be put down sooner by some one who is still here - [Side 2] The photo of Boldini's portra[it] of Whistler hangs in the small [...] at my studio 12, the Avenue, Fulham Road - you could get [in] by arranging with E. Powell, the old caretaker, who lives at 10 Onslow Dwellings, Pond Place, Fulham[.] Show him this -
I had a letter th[e] other day from the Town Clerk of t[he] Chelsea Town Hall, enquiring on beha[lf] of a Committee how your panel and the others were progressing.
Yrs sincerely
John S. Sargent

For several years now Sargent had spent August and the autumn in Switzerland (accompanied by his sisters Emily and Violet, with the latter's children), Italy (especially Venice) and Spain, sketching and painting landscapes and all sorts of details, rather than portraiture. Since 1895 he had leased two studios in the Fulham Road for his larger pieces and murals, in particular those for the Boston Public Library.
Frank Salisbury was also an accomplished portraitist, painting 5 U.S. Presidents and 5 Prime Ministers, but is best remembered for his paintings of great historical occasions, such as the Burial of the Unknown Warrior and the Coronation of 1937. Though he received many honours, he was never made a member of the Royal Academy. He had been one of the successful artists competing to paint The Great Artists of Chelsea, open to residents, for the Large Hall of Chelsea Town Hall. See The Times, 9th December 1911, for the competition, "the scheme of decoration ... to be ... under the supervision of Mr. Sargent, Mr. Steer, and Mr. Rickards".
Giovanni Boldini, 1842-1931, Italian but settled in Paris, had painted Sargent, his style being not dissimilar but more flowing. His 'homage' portrait of Whistler, now at Brooklyn, shows the artist in a striking but informal pose.

Item Date:  1912

Stock No:  56274