John Singer Sargent and Madame X

Setting: Dr. Love’s salon, 10 Place Vendôme, Paris. A rainy May afternoon.

Offstage, Victor Hugo reads from his novel and Richard Wagner plays the piano.

Onstage, in a silk kimono, Judith Gauthier arranges Japanese flowers. She is beautiful, mid-thirties, full figure, large expressive eyes.

John Sargent rushes in under a dripping umbrella. Twenty-seven, he is handsome, robust in constitution, a good athlete, formally dressed.

JUDITH: Give me that umbrella.

JOHN: Whose house is this?

JUDITH: Sam Pozzi’s palace of creativity. We call him Dr. Love. (Shakes his hand) Judith Gauthier.

JOHN: Daughter of the famed novelist?

JOHN AND JUDITH: Theophile.

JUDITH: And nun of art. (Laughs holding his hand) None in the morning, none in the evening.

JOHN: John Singer Sargent. Student painter.

JUDITH: Rapidly ascending.

JOHN: Have you seen my teacher, Professor Duran?

JUDITH: No. You’re the rising star. (Two men walk across. One studies sheet music, the other a book.)

JOHN: That’s not … Victor Hugo and Richard Wagner.

JUDITH: I launched their careers.

JOHN: Oh, no. You’re the critic who wrote that exposé about me–

JUDITH: And Madame Gautreau from New Orleans–

JOHN: “Ambitious Americans seize our medals and glory.” … My … well…(John checks his pocket watch, peers out the rainy window.)

JUDITH: You’re here for a nomination–to the Salon?

JOHN: Yes . . .

JUDITH: Don’t count on Teach. He is a traditionalist. Your stuff is painted tomorrow. (Doorbell rings.) (Sargent paces as Claude Monet hurries in, drenched. Middle-aged and portly, he carries an artist’s portfolio, which he hides by the door.)

CLAUDE: Wicked out, rainy and cold.

JUDITH: Claude Monet. Let me introduce –

JOHN: We know each other.

JUDITH (To Claude): Your coat.

CLAUDE (Hesitates, coughs. Gives Judith his wet coat.): It’s too hot with it on, and too cold with it off.

JUDITH (To Claude): Brandy?

CLAUDE: God, yes.

JOHN: Coffee. I don’t want to be loosened up. I want to be tense. (To Claude) Where is Teach?

CLAUDE: Don’t you go to class?

JOHN: I try to go. I went to the door. Did you bring the letter?

(Monet coughs. Pounds his chest.)

(Music from The Ring Cycle echoes offstage.)

JUDITH: Wagner. Playing catastrophically—

JOHN: You come in panting.

CLAUDE: Teach’s got a massive cold.

JUDITH (Enters to Claude): Brandy– (To John) Black coffee.

JOHN: So he left you the papers?

(Claude coughs and pounds his chest.)

CLAUDE: Teacher’s dog died.

JOHN: So he’s not coming?

JUDITH: Does he do this a lot?

CLAUDE: Some French artists have never been nominated.