CARNATION, LILY, LILY, ROSE
The Story of a Painting
by Hugh Brewster & illustrated by John Singer Sargent
In the 19th-century equivalent of being asked to model for a Vogue spread shot by Annie Leibovitz, little Kate Millet is noticed by the famous painter John Singer Sargent and asked to pose for him. Like Leibovitz, Sargent left nothing to chance, using wigs, designing clothes and sending a peacock and lily bulbs in preparation for his painting the following summer. Kate experiences the thrills and the tribulations of being a model: One day when Sargent chooses to paint two other girls instead, Kate spends the evening in her room crying. In the end, Kate poses for one of Sargent’s most famous paintings: Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. Anyone interested in the life of Sargent will find the portrait of the artist and his painting through the eyes of a child model fascinating. Splendid reproductions, photos and sketches. (Nonfiction. 12+)