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This ebook provides an in-depth analysis of John Singer Sargent's Portrait of Madame X, featuring socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. Discover the background of the painting, its controversial reception, and the techniques used by Sargent in this elegant portrait. Learn about the subject's background, the creation process, and the impact of the painting on Sargent's career.
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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.
John Singer Sargent, Study of Mme Gautreau, 1884
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.
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.
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-