Portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargent: A Controversial Masterpiece, Exams of Painting

Download Portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargent: A Controversial Masterpiece and more Exams Painting in PDF only on Docsity!

a Closer Look at

PORTRAIT OF MADAME X

by John Singer Sargent

DAN SCOTT

In this ebook, I take a closer look at Portrait of Madame X , or Madame X. This is an elegant portrait by John Singer Sargent featuring a young socialite named Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. Sargent ranked this as one of his best works, but it was also one of his most controversial.

Portrait of Madame X

• It was exhibited at the Salon in 1884 and, coming in at an imposing 82 by 43. inches, it was meant to make a powerful statement and propel Sargent’s career in portrait commissions. But the painting was instead met with criticism and con- troversy. At the time, the painting was considered overly-sexual and provocative, mostly due to the off-the-shoulder dress strap (which he ended up painting over due to the controversy). In the study below, you can see what the original off-the- shoulder dress strap looked like.

John Singer Sargent, Study of Mme Gautreau, 1884

• Sargent attempted to keep the identity of Madame Gautreau concealed, originally naming the painting Portrait de Mme ***. But, with all the controversy surround- ing the painting, her identity quickly became public knowledge. The Gautreau fam- ily was embarrassed by this and requested the painting be withdrawn from the Salon. Sargent refused, saying he had painted her “exactly as she was dressed, that nothing could be said of the canvas worse than had been said in print of her appearance”.
• Due to the controversy, Sargent left Paris for London and kept the painting in his studio there. Although the painting was initially a setback for Sargent in Paris, he continued to grow in popularity in England and America. As we now know, he would end up becoming one of the most renowned portrait artists in history.
• Madame Gautreau subsequently posed for two other artists: Gustave-Claude-Eti- enne Courtois in 1891 and Antonio de La Gandara in 1898. The latter was her fa- vorite.
• The painting was eventually sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, not long after the death of Madame Gautreau. The painting is still with that Museum.

Gustave Courtois, Madame Gautreau, 1891 Antonio de La Gándara, Madame Pierre Gautreau, 1898

The soft, skin tones contrast against the rather dramatic colors and shadows used in the rest of the painting, particularly the silky black dress. On one hand, you have the subtle contours of the face which are depicted with nothing but the slightest of color changes, and on the other hand, you have the imposing blacks and grays picking up the twists and turns in the dress.

Composition

In terms of composition, the focal point is clearly Madame Gautreau, but Sargent also included a table on the left-hand side on which she is resting her hand. The inclusion of the table adds context to the scene and breaks up what would otherwise be a large area of negative space. It also ensures the painting does not appear too centralized.

Madame Gautreau is painted with one arm extended backward, resting on the table, and the other arm relaxed at the front of her body. You can see similar poses in some of Sargent’s studies leading up to this painting. This pose accentuates the general curves and contours of the body, making her appear more relaxed and natural.

There is a pleasing balance between the posi- tive and negative space, with the positive space being the subject and the table, and the nega- tive space being the solid, brown background. The positive space takes up less area in the painting, but it has more impact than the back- ground. There is also an interesting link between the positive and negative space (or the foreground and background) as the black dress melts into the shadows on the ground. Finally, on the topic of composition, notice the strong use of outlining around the sub- ject. There is a very strong edge which sepa- rates the soft, skin tones from the solid, brown background. This edge is stronger on the right- hand side, suggesting the main light source is also positioned on that side. On the subject’s skin itself, there are hardly any hard edges or outlines, other than the delicate facial features. This further accentuates her soft and pale com- plexion.

Key Takeaways

Here are some of the key takeaways from Portrait of Madame X which you could incorporate into your own paintings:

John Singer Sargent, Study of Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast, 1882-

• Use studies to help prepare for more important works. Sargent completed numerous studies in the leadup to this portrait, exploring different mediums, poses, and compositions.
• Do not worry too much about the fickle opinions of others. Even the great Sargent was heavily criticized for what he considered to be one of his best portraits.
• If you want to make a strong statement at an exhibition, then submit a large painting. Just be aware the statement may be for better or worse (in Sargent’s case, it was for worse).
• Sargent demonstrates what is possible with such a dull and limited range of hues. He relied mostly on value contrast in this painting.
• With portrait painting, try to emphasize the curves and contours of the body. This will make your painting appear much more natural and realistic than if you used rigid shapes and lines.