Once the code of Sargent’s almost indecipherable handwriting has been cracked, his letters reveal the man behind the canvas. The correspondence shows Sargent’s enthusiasms, his sense of humor, his opinions about his own work, and his involvement in the business of exhibitions and the strategies of display. The letters presented here provide a sample of the rich resources of The John Singer Sargent Archive. For letters written in French, the transcription is followed by the English translation. We will continue to add material online as resources become available.

Correspondence with Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan

• Wednesday, Summer 1883, John Singer Sargent to Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan
• Summer 1883, from 41 Boulevard Berthier, John Singer Sargent to Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan
• Summer 1883, from Les Chesnes, Paramé, John Singer Sargent to Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan
• Late Summer 1883, John Singer Sargent and Amélie Gautreau to Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan
• 1885, from the Arts Club, Hanover Square, London, John Singer Sargent to Emma-Marie Allouard-Jouan

Correspondence with Walter L. Clark

• December 15, 1923, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• December 20, 1923, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• January 9, 1924, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• January 13, 1924, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• January 26, 1924, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• February 15, 1924, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark
• February 22, 1924, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Walter L. Clark

Correspondence with Arthur Fairbanks

• 1916, from the Hotel Vendome, John Singer Sargent to Arthur Fairbanks
• August 2, 1919, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Arthur Fairbanks
• 1919, from the Copley Plaza, John Singer Sargent to Arthur Fairbanks

Correspondence with Claude Monet

• [no year], from 13 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• [no year], from 1 rue Tronchet, Paris, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• March 11, [no year], from 13 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• July 1888, from 33 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• Summer 1889, from 1 rue Tronchet, Paris, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• Summer 1889, from Fladbury Rectory, Pershore, Worcestershire, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• 1891, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• September 1, 1891, from 33 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• July 18, 1892, from 33 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• 1894, from Morgan Hall, Fairford, Gloucestershire, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet
• December 28, 1894, from 33 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Claude Monet

Correspondence with Edward Robinson

• March 10, 1904, from 31 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Edward Robinson
• March 13, 1904, from the Garlants Hotel, Edward Robinson to John Singer Sargent
• March 13, 1904, from 31 Tite Street, London, John Singer Sargent to Edward Robinson

About the John Singer Sargent Archive

These letters are a part of The John Singer Sargent Archive.

We will continue to add material online as resources become available. Do you have letters to or from Sargent, or photographs of the painter? Let us know!

To make a donation to the Sargent Archive, contact goa@mfa.org.