The portraits of John Sargent...
9:31 a.m.03/25/24 - If there was an artist during the 19th century who portrayed women of upper social class, dressed in the best of the nascent Haute Couture in Paris and London, it was John Singer Sargent (Italy, 1856-1925). The exhibition currently on display at the Tate Britain in London is a testimony of this, not only due to the impeccable mounting of the artist's paintings, but also due to the pairing with the original outfits worn by the sitters.
La Carmencita (Carmen Dauset Moreno), by John Singer Sargent (1890)
Technique: oil on canvas
It is said that posing for the artist was like a one-on-one between two people trying to fulfill their own desires: an encounter between the idealization that the artist intended to impose on the image to be portrayed and the narcissistic attitude of the person posing. The result was based on this space of collaboration and, at times, tension. The crossing of personalities caused such dynamism in the portraits that it made the work extremely alive, which is still maintained despite the passing of the years. Thus, the portrait becomes, then, a visual artifact accepted by everyone, even by those least initiated in the history of art who turn out to be the most critical when it comes to accepting the permanence of a work.
Mrs Edward Darley Boit (Mary Louisa Cushing), by John Singer Sargent (1887)
Technique: oil on canvas
Miss Elsie Palmer, or Lady in White, by John Singer Sargent (1889-90)
Technique: oil on canvas
Both the black polka dots on the pink satin skirt and the white dress in the second portrait define an outfit that in those days was typical for afternoon tea or an informal day out. Both produce a hypnotic effect on whoever looks at them. But neither of these two has the attraction of Madame X. The work belongs to the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and shows a woman dressed in black, a color that was considered exclusive for mourning. The pose of the sitter reminds us of that of a classical sculpture. Madame Gautreu, despite being born in the United States, was admired by Parisian social circles. She exaggerated not only what she wore but also the amount of white powder she covered her body with. The sign says that Sargent had to convince her to pose. The design of her velvet and satin dress could have belonged to the fashion house Maison Félix.
Madame X (Madame Pierre Gaultreau - Virginie Amélie Avegno), by John Singer Sargent (1883-4)
Técnica: óleo sobre tela.
As Georges Didi-Huberman wrote in Devant le Temps: "The image often has more memory and more future than the being that looks at it." Surely Madame X will transcend us and those to come.
0 comentarios