The Met to explore John Singer Sargent’s transformative era in Paris

At the age of 18, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) arrived in Paris in 1874 as a precocious art student, and had a meteoric rise, until, a decade later, painting Madame X caused a resounding scandal that led him to consider leaving his profession, finally catalyzing his move to London, where he lived until the end of his life.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York will present the exhibition Sargent and Paris, that explores that transformative era of most famous society portraitist of the last third of the 19th century.

Two great museums, the New York museum and the Orsay, in Paris, came together to organize this exhibition on the centenary of the American-born artist’s death, which will open on April 21, 2025.

He infamous portrait of Madame Gautreau, which belongs to the Met collection, is a centerpiece of the exhibition, which will be analyzed in depth, from its creation to the scandal that surrounded it.

The model wore a tight-fitting dark dress, which contrasted with her pale skin. The haughty profile highlighted the extension of the neck, bare shoulders and a pronounced neckline. One of the dress’s gold straps, adorned with precious stones, slid seductively.

Now, for the first time, this work will be brought together with numerous preparatory drawings and paintings, in an exercise of appreciation for the originality and brilliance of Sargent’s art, which underpins the most sensational aspects of artistic society in 1880s Paris. The canvas represents the culmination of the early period in this city.

Bold works

Curator Stephanie L. Herdich noted that “Sargent’s career was indelibly marked by his time in Paris. Over the course of an extraordinary decade, he created the most audacious and daring paintings of his oeuvre. Sargent and Paris will exhibit these visually striking and ambitious works, which will shed new light on his distinctive artistic vision,” according to the Met’s press announcement.

The union of pieces from this early period shed light on the path he took to become an artist, marked by his stay in the French capital. These impressive works offer a compelling insight into the Parisian art world of the late 19th century..

Sargent was born in Florence, on January 12, 1856, the son of an American couple. After his training in Italy, he moved to the City of Light to continue his studies. It debuted at the Paris Salon in 1877 and its fame grew rapidly in the French artistic environment, explains the Met. Just a few years later he was already the best portraitist of his time..

Due to his training in Italy and his travels through Spain in this formative decade, Singer Sargent acquired great admiration for the great masters, such as Tintoretto, Michelangelo, Titian, Van Dyck and Diego Velázquez, which was notable in his realistic portraits, in a time in which more experimental currents triumphed, such as impressionism, fauvism and cubism. For example, in the box Edward Darley Boit’s daughters makes a reinterpretation of The meninas.

The museum, located on Fifth Avenue, will display paintings, watercolors and drawings, as well as a group of portraits of Sargent’s contemporaries. This is the first monographic exhibition of Sargent’s art in France, and the largest dedicated to the artist since 1998. The journey begins with his arrival in Paris to pursue his ambition to be an artist.

The heart of the scandal

In 1883 Sargent was a rising star. He convinced Madame Pierre Gautreau, wife of a French banker and member of high society, to sit for him with the intention of creating a masterpiece that would be exhibited at the Paris Salon, the official exhibition of the Academy of Fine Arts, but When the portrait was made public in 1884, it was considered a mockery of the model and almost ended the painter’s career.

The artist’s desire was to cause critical recognition and more commissions. However, great scandal and ridicule caused Sargent to move to London for the rest of his life. He even told a friend that he was considering abandoning painting to dedicate himself to music. He decided to repaint the shoulder strap and for 20 years refused to display the work again.

In 1916, already a successful, wealthy and renowned artist, the most important portraitist of the time, he offered the then director of the Met, his friend Edward Ned Robinson, to sell him the painting for a thousand pounds sterling; He acquired it and since then it has been part of the New York venue’s collection, becoming one of the most outstanding pieces.

Then, he asked him: I would prefer, due to the fight I had with the lady years ago, that this painting not bear her name. He also stated that it was the best thing I have done.

Virginie Avegno Gautreau had died months before. In the formal paperwork he was left with the title of Madame X, as it is designated until now.

In 2014, an analysis process was carried out with infrared lights in order to explore the hidden layers beneath the surface of the painting and reveal the original that lies beneath, where the strap of the dress can be seen falling from the right shoulder.