Nonchaloir (Repose)

The painting’s story and details

Sargent’s niece Rose-Marie Ormond reclines on a sofa, wrapped in pale fabric. The painting dates from 1911, when he had already greatly reduced his commissioned portrait work. International success allowed him greater freedom of choice. Relatives and friends often modelled for experiments in which pose, light and paint enjoyed more latitude than when fulfilling a patron’s requirements.

Her head rests against the sofa back, and her hair spreads loosely to either side. The face is softly painted, with small shadows around the eyes and mouth. It seems modest in scale beside the enormous volume of clothing. Sargent directs attention towards the position of the whole body. Repose extends from the tilted head to the fabric settled heavily over the legs.

The fingers interlace over her abdomen. This small area is more precisely defined than the surrounding folds. The hands anchor our gaze within the fabric’s broad movement. Pale skin takes on a pink tint beside cream and grey. With a few differences in colour and edge, the painter separates the living body from clothing that almost entirely conceals it.

The skirt occupies a substantial part of the canvas. Broad bluish, white and olive strokes create its sheen. Close up they look angular, even abrupt, yet at a distance they gather into soft folds.

A gilded frame crosses almost the entire upper part of the picture. Brief bright touches indicate its carving, while Sargent’s signature and date appear above it on the right. They seem to belong to the painting hanging on the room’s wall. This small device inserts the artist’s presence into the interior.

The sofa back stretches horizontally, its muted upholstery providing a quiet setting for the pale clothes. The side table, gilding and soft furniture establish a comfortable household. Such repose assumes leisure and ease that were far from universally available. The painting makes the material conditions of life visible through an apparently effortless posture.

In a 1911 letter Sargent reported that he had finished the sofa figure’s head and hands and was sending the painting to the New English Art Club for sale at £300. A family study entered public artistic life. He freed himself from many portrait commissions while retaining a market for his own experiments.