John Singer Sargent and Isabella Stewart Gardner first met in the artist’s studio in 1886 in London. Mrs. Gardner became a lasting admirer of Sargent’s work, even allowing the artist to use her home as his studio at one point. During the course of this long friendship, Sargent painted Mrs. Gardner twice. The first was a stunning portrait of a beautiful woman, and the second was just before Mrs. Gardner’s death, shortly after she had suffered a massive stroke.
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925), Portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1888.
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925), Mrs. Gardner in White, 1922.
Above Image: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum