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Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:55:04 -0500

The exhibit on John Singer Sargent depicted a comfortable career as a portraitist of the elite. He got in trouble, however, with his painting of prominent socialite at the Paris Salon of 1884. Her pose is a too dynamic, her neckline is too low, the whiteness of her generously exposed skin calls attention to itself, and, worst of all, the right strap of her dress had slipped off her shoulder in the original. The title is also suggestive: Portrait of Madame X. Singer repainted the strap and moved to London for a while.