Madame X by John Singer Sargent
E852
"Madame X" is an 1884 portrait by John Singer Sargent, renowned for its striking depiction of socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau and for the scandal it caused in Parisian society upon its first exhibition.
Aliases (1)
- Madame X ×49
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
oil painting
→
painting → |
| artHistoricalSignificance |
icon of late 19th-century portraiture
→
key work in John Singer Sargent’s career → |
| artistNationality |
American
→
|
| artistResidenceAtTimeOfWork |
Paris
→
|
| background |
flat, dark, nearly featureless backdrop
→
|
| collection |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection
→
|
| colorPalette |
predominantly dark background with pale skin tones
→
|
| commissionedBy |
not formally commissioned by the sitter’s family
→
|
| countryOfOrigin |
France
→
|
| creator |
John Singer Sargent
→
|
| depicts |
French socialite
→
Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau → bare shoulders and arms → black evening gown → elaborate hairstyle → floor-length gown with train → ornamental jewelry on the sitter → profile pose with turned head → profile view of a woman in evening dress → woman standing beside a small table → |
| exhibitedAt |
Paris Salon of 1884
→
|
| exhibitionHistory |
Paris Salon 1884
→
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York → |
| genre |
portrait
→
|
| hasEffect |
damaged John Singer Sargent’s reputation in Paris at the time
→
|
| hasPart |
signature of John Singer Sargent
→
|
| inception |
1884
→
|
| influenced |
later society portraiture
→
|
| influencedBy |
French society portraiture
→
|
| lighting |
dramatic contrast emphasizing the sitter’s pale skin
→
|
| location |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
→
|
| materialUsed |
oil paint
→
|
| movement |
American art
→
Realism → |
| notableFor |
controversial reception at the Paris Salon
→
one fallen dress strap in the original version → sensuous depiction of the sitter → |
| originalTitle |
Portrait de Mme ***
→
|
| previousExhibitionTitle |
Portrait de Mme ***
→
|
| sitter |
Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau
→
|
| sitterNationality |
American-born French
→
|
| sitterSocialStatus |
Parisian socialite
→
|
| style |
highly finished academic style
→
|
| subjectOf |
extensive art historical scholarship
→
numerous reproductions and posters → |
| support |
canvas
→
|
| titleAfterExhibition |
Madame X
→
|
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Metropolitan Museum of Art
→
|
notableWorkHeld |