The Patron Subjects: Who were the Wertheimers, the family that sat for a dozen of John Singer Sargent's paintings?

The article discusses an exhibition of paintings by John Singer Sargent at the Seattle Art Museum, specifically focusing on his portraits of the Wertheimer family. The Wertheimers were a London-based family of German Jewish descent who commissioned Sargent to paint portraits of themselves and their 10 children. The author expresses curiosity about Sargent's connection to this family and explores questions about their relationship, the significance of the portraits, and the cultural and historical context in which they were created. The author also discusses their research process, including conversations with descendants of the Wertheimer family and visits to various locations associated with Sargent and the Wertheimers. The article concludes by mentioning the author's forthcoming book, which will delve further into the lives of Sargent and the Wertheimers. [Extracted from the article]