January: John paints Miss Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. He had been taken by her performance in the play and he shows the painting at the New Gallery, London. He does at least 3 other paintings of her in that role. And he paints musician George Henschel.


March-April: he's off to Paris to serve on the jury of the Salon with Claude Monet. As he's in Paris he paints some friends.

After Edouard Manet's death, he works with Monet to raise money for the purchase of Manet's Olympia, the painting to go to the Louvre and the funds to be donated to Manet's widow who is near penniless. Sargent himself, donated  1,000 francs. Besides the altruistic reasons, it is very probable that both felt a personal debt to Manet and his painting.

March 31st: Paris is abuzz with excitement - the public gathers with jeers and cheers for the inauguration of Gustave Eiffel's tower. The Paris Exposition Universal of 1889 is underway. Sargent exhibits six paintings in the American section where he is awarded the grand prix and made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur by the French government. While there, he takes in the sights seeing the Javanese dancers perform and does studies of them. He meets La Carmencita (a Spanish gypsy dancer) whom he would later paint. 

On April 25th Dr. Sargent (John's father) dies at the age of 69. In his life he had pursued a successful medical career in Philadelphia until 1854. When he and his wife, Mary Newbold Singer Sargent, traveled to Europe -- never to return to live. John had spent a lot of time with his father after his first stroke.

May thru June: He exhibits at the Society of American Artists, New York, showing portraits of Mrs. E.D. Millet and Mrs. Henry Marquand.

July: he's back in Paris for the Exposition Universal.

Cancels a visit with Monet at Giverny and goes back to England with his family (his mother and two sisters) at Fladbury Rectory, Pershore, on the river Avon (which was only 9 miles from the Broadway colony).  Guest who come to visit include, in part, Paul Helleu and his wife, Ben del Castillo, Vernon Lee, Kit Anstruther-Thomson and Miss Priestley.

He paints Lady Fishing - Mrs. Ormond is his sister Violet Sargent Ormond (before she was married). She would have been about 19 years old. Paints Paul Helleu Sketching. Then again Paul and his wife with possibly Sargent's sister in A Boating Party.

He has a relationship with Miss Priestley and paints her on a number of occasions. Marriage is rumored between them by others though it is not clear whether she refused to marry him or it was he who was reluctant to marry her.

August: he visits the Harrisons at Ightham Mote house, near Sevenoaks in Kent. The house had been rented by Mrs. Palmer, an expatriate American from Colorado, and John  begins work on a portrait of her daughter  Miss Elsie Palmer as well as paints A Game of Bowls.  Afterwards returns to Broadway. 

On December 4th, he sails for New York taking his sister Violet with him. She had been in a relationship with Francis Ormond whom Mrs. Sargent (John's mother) didn't approve. It was their intent to separate the two lovers and for John to introduce her to Americans. 
See footnote 1
 

In America John begins a series of portrait commissions.