Art Guide · Painters
John Singer Sargent
1856–1925
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was the most sought-after portrait painter of his day, known for elegant, bravura brushwork, society portraits and the scandalous Madame X.
Last updated: · Iconica Society editors
Life
Born in Florence to American parents, he spent his childhood travelling around Europe and trained in Paris in the studio of Carolus-Duran. After the scandal caused by Madame X at the 1884 Paris Salon he moved to London, where he soon became the favourite portraitist of British and American society.
Later in his career, tired of portraiture, he turned to watercolour landscapes and large murals in Boston; he made some 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolours in his lifetime.
Style and key works
With quick, fluid strokes learned from Velázquez and Frans Hals, Sargent captured fabric, skin and light with great skill. Madame X (1884) shows the Parisian socialite Virginie Gautreau in a black gown; a strap slipping off her shoulder in the first version caused a scandal, and Sargent later repainted it. The painting is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Key works
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Frequently asked questions
Why was Madame X a scandal?
The sitter’s low-cut black gown, with a strap slipping off her shoulder in the first version, was considered indecent at the 1884 Paris Salon.
Was Sargent American or British?
American, though he was born in Florence, lived most of his life in Europe and died in London.