John Singer Sargent to Major Roller 1906

Major George Conrad Roller

Plazzo Barbaro,
Venice,
October 3rd, 1906

My dear Roller,

I think I know what Mme. Gautreau wants to see me about. She wrote me last year of a matter of vital importance -- it was that the Kaiser who was such a dear, thought her portrait the most fascinating woman's likeness that he has ever seen, and that he wishes me to have an exhibition in Berlin of my things. I wrote that I was abroad and couldn't manage it. But to tell you the truth, I don't want to do it. It is a tremendous trouble for me to induce a lot of unwilling people to lend me their "pautrets" and Berlin does not attract me at all. So if you are taken into Mme. Gautreau's confidence, and I wish you would tear your shirt for it, please discourage her from giving me the K.K. command.

Yrs. sincerely,
John S. Sargent"

(Letter to Roller, excerpted in Charteris' book, pp 64-65)
 

He did eventually exhibit in Germany: Exhibition of American Art, Munich, 1910

Forum:

From: A.E.Murphy
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002
 
I note that a KK appears in some of Sargent's correspondence. Is it an allusion to the Kaiser.

From: Natasha
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002

I think so, that's sort of how I've interpreted it when I read it as being some sort of German military turn of phrase, but I'm not sure.