O-Sono was a Geisha of an exceptional beauty and a perfect dancer. One day she disappeared without a word to anyone.

A few years after her disappearance, a young artist found her home by accident. She was dancing beautifully in front of a little altar dedicated to the man she loved and who had just passed away. The artist stayed for the night at her home.

The artist dreamt for many years of this woman, O-Sono. He became a great and respected master. He specialized in portraits of women, trying to find in each of them a little of O-Sono's perfection.

Many years later, an old lady called at his workshop. To have her portrait taken, she offered to pay him with a dress made out of a beautiful fabric. The artist recognized the dress and O-Sono. The old Geisha also recognized the artist. She explained that she had become too old to dance for the man she loved; she wanted to put a picture in front of his altar, showing her dancing.

The painter took the portrait of O-Sono, taking many days. His assistants could not understand why their old master was loosing his time with that old woman, who could quite obviously did not have the means to pay him.

The painter finished his work and everybody was dazzled by the painting, showing O-Sono in all her perfection, as she had been when he had met her.

O-Sono returned to her home, followed by one of the painter's assistants. The assistant then returned to his master to let him know where the old woman lived. When the master went to O-Sono's house, carrying clothes and food for her, he found the old woman dead in the living room, the portrait of her dancing eternally for the soul of the man, for whom she had left everything behind.

O Sono ; cat n°125 ; 1905