John Singer Sargent (1856 – 1925), the most successful portrait painter of his era, lays bare his thorny relationships with models Thomas McKeller, Wilhelm Kamp & patroness Isabella Stewart Gardner while desperately seeking non-portraiture as his legacy.

On a Sunday in June 1921, a poststroke, wheelchair bound Isabella Gardner appears at Sargent’s studio with chauffeur, a former model & assistant of Sargent, in tow asking for Sargent to give her the many sketches he has promised her or reproduce them while she watches. She also seeks to see the painting of McKeller never shown to any but Sargent’s inner circle. Will the heat of the day and of the moment provide a flow of emotional fireworks? Will Isabella finally see “Thomas McKeller” & receive her sketches? Will Tom McKeller make a stand? Will “the chauffeur”, Will, redeem himself? And will Old Master Sargent find the respect he seeks, creating civic commissions and ridding himself forever of portraiture?

McKeller became Sargent’s most "useful" life drawing model, standing in for men, women, the politically powerful, all forms of gods, goddesses and white people. The portrait of a totally uncovered Thomas McKeller, was only displayed "discretely & infrequently" to Sargent's closest friends, never publicly during Sargent’s lifetime. It was "unseen" for nearly 100 years finally exhibited in 2020 at Boston's Gardner Museum.

Combining spoken text, life drawing, immersive imagery, and historical fact & fiction, BOSTON APOLLO invites you, to meet the artist, his patroness and his most “useful” models.