“The truth is, Nature has her anodynes, and Old Age carries one of them in his pocket. It is some kind of narcotic, — it dulls our sensibility.”

A wry and surprisingly tender reflection on the consolations that accompany ageing · Letter to John O. Sargent, February 10, 1889

• Acceptance
• Age
• Nature

“I have clambered up mountains and sat down to rest on a moss-bank.”

A simple, physical image of youthful exploration · Letter from Europe

• Nature
• Rest
• Travel

“If modern Rome did not exist, still the world would come here to look at the monuments of antiquity.”

Recognising the enduring power of Rome's historical inheritance · Letter from Europe

• History
• Travel
• Wonder