Lily Millet
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Lily Millet (1855–1932), Boston-born wife of American painter Frank Millet, was at the center of the community of artists and writers at Broadway. Sargent was devoted to the Millets: he inscribed sketches to Lily, painted pictures of their house and garden, and produced portraits of their children. After her husband died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, Lily became an interior designer in New York.
Author Henry James, who was also a frequent guest at Broadway, admired this painting several years later in 1902. For James, seeing the work conjured fond memories of his time there, and he wrote of the portrait, "Ancient summers look out at me of its charming eyes and the poetry of past experiences lurks in that exquisite smile."
Author Henry James, who was also a frequent guest at Broadway, admired this painting several years later in 1902. For James, seeing the work conjured fond memories of his time there, and he wrote of the portrait, "Ancient summers look out at me of its charming eyes and the poetry of past experiences lurks in that exquisite smile."
Artwork Details
- Title: Lily Millet
- Artist: John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
- Date: 1885
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 34 3/8 × 26 1/2 in. (87.3 × 67.3 cm)
- Credit Line: Private Collection
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing