Ruth Leon recommends… Sargent and Paris – Met & D’Orsay

 Sargent and Paris explores the early career of American painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a precocious 18-year-old art student through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon.

Over the course of one extraordinary decade, Sargent achieved recognition by creating boldly ambitious portraits and figure paintings that pushed the boundaries of conventionality. Immersed in a cosmopolitan circle of artists, writers, and patrons,Sargent was able to navigate a successful path through the French exhibition system while achieving acclaim and awards.

Beyond the portrait studio, he travelled in search of inspiration for his art – finding subjects in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and North Africa. This exhibition gathers Sargent’s diverse works from this period to illuminate his path to becoming an artist, which was indelibly shaped by his experiences in the French capital. These visually stunning works provide a compelling view of the Paris art world of the late 19th century.

The iconic Madame X, a beloved highlight of The Met collection, is the culmination of Sargent’s early years in Paris. The exhibition is taking an in-depth look at this captivating portrait and the numerous preparatory sketches, and it is displayed alongside select portraits of Parisiennes by Sargent’s contemporaries.

For all of us who can’t get to Paris, here’s a tour of the exhibition, Sargent and Paris, conducted by the curators who put it together – Stephanie Herdrich, from the Met, and Caroline Corbeau-Parsons and Paul Perrin, from the Musée D’Orsay, Paris.
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