Today, Sargent’s painting, Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau) hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Madame Gautreau used a lavender powder on her skin which appeared creamy white in candlelight. In the original portrait, one of the jeweled straps of her dress had slipped off her shoulder. In the photograph of the painting in Sargent’s Parisian studio, he had already repainted the strap in a more proper location. The provocative, plunging neckline, however, remained.
In his biography, John Sargent, Evan Charteris wrote about the brouhaha when the painting was exhibited at the Salon. “There was a grand tapage (uproar) before it all day…I found him (Sargent) dodging behind doors to avoid friends who looked grave…I was disappointed in the colour. She looks decomposed…”
Sargent included a reference to Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting in Madame Gautreau’s tiara, which is in the shape of the crescent moon. He included another classical reference in the table legs that taper into winged sirens from Greek mythology.
Often in portraits, artists will include references to classical themes as well as to aspects of the sitter’s life. Alexandra Tyng explains, “When I paint portraits, I allow hints and details of my subjects’ lives to creep into the portraits, while keeping the story firmly in service of the purpose of getting an accurate likeness and a balanced composition.”
Michael Bergt says, “I’ve always been fascinated with the figure beautifully rendered and by pattern and decoration. In my new work, I focus on these two interests: my figure studies are given a context within the designs found in erotic Japanese ‘Shunga’ prints, Persian miniatures and the pattern traditions of Eastern Art.”
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av American Art Collector.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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FULL EXPOSURE
Photographer Conor Martin documents the present using photographic methods of the past.
Autumnal Light
The landscapes and nature scenes of painter Jennifer Sowders are irresistibly tactile, filled with varying textures that seem to leap off the canvas.
Art for All
Members of Art Dealers Association of America come together for a philanthropic affair.
Modern Marketplace
Redwood Art Group brings together the San Diego region for another class-act celebration of contemporary artwork.
An Enchanting Evening
Scottsdale Artists’ School knows how to throw an art party.
Timeless Tales
Soft, warm undertones underscore the mood of enchantment that runs through Nom Kinnear King’s paintings.
Next Exit New York
Coming off his series that focused on San Francisco and Los Angeles freeway signs, artist Eric Nash’s sights are now set on New York. Now on view at George Billis Gallery's Manhattan location are seven of Nash's new oil paintings and two drawings that explore the signage of New York City freeways. Although Nash's work is tightly rendered, he doesn’t consider himself a photorealist, but rather someone who utilizes those techniques to express ideas.
Monster Mash
Vampires, witches, ghouls and all things that go bump in the night are the theme of the exhibition Monster Mash, now at Abend Gallery.
Inside/Outside
Those familiar with Geoffrey Johnson's populated by inky figures and trailing shadows that bleed into the wet streets, and architectural elements obscured to varying degrees by the misty atmosphere.
Bold Figures; Bold Color
For Brooklyn based painter J Louis, it’s all about balance, which can mean many different things in a composition, but for Louis, it’s about balancing his female figures among a unique landscape of color.
