John Singer Sargent painted Cashmere in 1908 portraying his eleven-year-old niece, Reine Ormond. This painting is very peculiar as the artist depicts the same model various times in different positions as if multiple women were walking wrapped in expensive cashmere fabrics.

The painter was classically trained since he was a young man, and was deeply influenced by the past masters, like Diego Velazquez and his dramatic Baroque portraits. In fact, Sargent emerged in the art market as a portrait artist and was featured in the Paris Salon more than once. He eventually because famous for this traditional style of portrait painting, and concluded many commissioned works for the elite society or Europe and the United States. While under the teachings of the painter Carolus Duran, Sargent let go of some of the rigid rules of classical painting, working more freely and authentically.

For a while, Sargent began including modern techniques in his artwork, like less structured underdrawings and looser and more visible brush strokes. In Cashmere, it is possible to observe how the artist blends traditional and modern painting techniques. The repeated image of Ormond was painted in a realistic manner, with soft skin and detailed expressions. The decorated fabric was also painted with considerable attention to detail, with a drastic lighting highlighting the folds and layers. Most figures wear the cashmere shawl wrapped around their head, while the model in the middle has her head uncovered, with her brown hair up in buns.

Each figure of Ormond was painted in a different position. The two figures on the left walk side-by-side holding each other, as if it were two different people. The third and sixth figure from left to right stare directly into the viewer's eyes, creating a more intimate atmosphere. Some figures can only be seen from the back; others seem more relaxed, opposed to the ones that have an introspective look. The background is loosely painted in shades of green, ochre, orange, and yellow.

This painting was a breakthrough for a modern take on representation of time. The scene was represented similarly to multiple exposures in photography – a significant influence on the world of painting of this period. The Cubist painter Marcel Duchamp painted Nude Descending Staircase in 1912, with a similar idea of repeated figures in movement, inspired by Cashmere.