Scooner Head is loacted in Acadia National Park, which is only a couple of miles south of Bar Harbor Maine. This painting, along with "Schooner Catherine Somes" was painted while Sargent was visiting cousins. The two paintings were in the Hale family and the figure on the beach was belived to have been of Mary Newbold Patterson Hale though never finished.  

It would be Mary Hale whom would write one of the most wonderful accounts of John after his death in an article for the World Today, November 1927, called "The Sargent I Knew." 
 
 
 

Note: 

Sold by Sothebys; 12/5/1996; Lot 22; Estimated $123,500 

Askart site had this painting dated 1921. The source had misdated other known paintings so this is suspect 
 

• See the year in review  1917

From: Abby Ann Newbold Vigneron <stu  dent@ziplip.com>  
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001  

Hi Natasha, 

Your Sargent site is really wonderful.  I came to your site looking for the full text of his second cousin Mary Hale's article for the World Today in November 1927.  Is this available anywhere online or in any form other than one of those massive books? 

Some of the pictures you 'published' from the Sotheby's sale of December 1996 used to be in my family.  We had to sell them when my grandmother Hale (daughter-in-law of Mary [Newbold] Patterson Hale) died because of estate taxes. 

Schooner Catherine Somes 
1917? 

The Schooner Cate and Sand Dunes at Schooner Head were both painted while he was visiting my great-grandmother, but I don't know the year.  My family has always believed that the figure in white on the beach was meant to be my great grandmother. 

Sincerely, 
Abby Ann Newbold Vigneron 

From Natasha 
Date 8/3/2001 

Dear Abby, 

What a wonderful treat to hear from you. Yes, I have just keyed in Mary Hales article, and have put it on my site so you can see it here. Without a doubt, her article was a remarkable, insightful, and tender reflection of John Singer Sargent and is one of the best accounts of him from the people that knew him personally. You can tell from the way she wrote, that she must have been a wonderful woman. 

Can you tell me where Mary Hale lived, was it in Maine? Was there any story behind the trip to Maine? Do you know anything about the Schooner Catherine Somes? Make sure I have this right, the woman on the sand is Mary Hale -- the same Mary hale who wrote the article -- is that right? 

All my best and thanks for the kind words, 

Natasha