John Singer Sargent to Edward Robinson January 1916

Edward Robinson

31, Tite Street
Chelsea,
Jan. 8, 1916

My dear Ned,

 . . The permission to communicate with the Museum when I have something that I think worthy of it, makes me venture to suggest to you, rather than to the Trustees, a proposition for what you may think of it. My portrait of Madamne Gaureau is now, with some other things I sent from here at the San Francisco Exhibition and now that it is in America I rather feel inclined to let it stay there if a Museum should want it. I suppose it is the best thing I have done. I would let the Metropolitan Museum have it for £ 1,000  . . .  let me know your opinion . . . If Madame Gautreau should not stay in America I think she had better come back here with the rest of my things.

Yrs. sincerely,
John S. Sargent"

(Letter to Robinson, excerpted in Charteris' book, p. 65)
 

Note:

To get an idea of the offer John was making the Met, if the exchange rate was 3 dollars to the pound (which was probably high) a purchase price of $3,000 for the "greatest work he ever did" was nothing more than an outright gift, since the following year he did two full portraits of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. for $15,000 a piece.