The story of a little girl who takes part in the creation of John Singer Sargent's well-loved painting.

Drawing on the correspondence of the artist, his friends and his family, as well as a review of contemporary critical responses, this text examines the work of

"Explores the art of John Singer Sargent in the context of nineteenth-century botany, gynecology, literature, and visual culture. Argues that the artist was ela

"An alchemical mix of Borges, Raymond Chandler and Buffy the Vampire Slayer."--Salon.com (Best of the Year) "A delightful collection."--Cleveland Plain Dealer "

Many of the sitters in this collection were John Singer Sargents close friends. They are posed informally, sometimes in the act of painting or singing, and it i