|
|
 |
Paris as Proving Ground: Part I |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925)
Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), 1883–84
Oil on canvas; 82 1/8 x 43 1/4 in. (208.6 x 109.9 cm)
Salon, 1884
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Arthur Hoppock Hearn Fund, 1916 (16.53)
|
|
|
Virginie Avegno Gautreau (1859–1915), an expatriate from Louisiana, was a familiar figure in Parisian society, known for her artful appearance, which she accentuated with lavender powder and rouged ears. Sargent undertook her portrait without a commission, hoping to enhance his reputation by exhibiting it at the Salon. He emphasized Madame Gautreau's egotism and glamour and exaggerated her daring style by showing the right strap of her gown slipping from her shoulder. At the 1884 Salon the portrait received more ridicule than praise, perhaps because the subject herself seemed bizarre. After the Salon, Sargent repainted the shoulder strap and kept the picture. Having gained notoriety in Paris rather than fame, the artist made London his headquarters in 1886. When Sargent sold the painting to the Metropolitan in 1916, he commented, "I suppose it is the best thing I have done."
|
|
|
|
|
|
