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Sargent and Paris Captures a Daring Decade at The Met
April 21, 2025, 3:55.00 pm ET

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The Met’s latest exhibition, Sargent and Paris, traces the bold beginnings of American painter John Singer Sargent during his formative years in the French capital. From his arrival in 1874 as a teenage prodigy to the 1884 unveiling of the now-iconic Madame X, the show explores how Sargent pushed the boundaries of portraiture and gained international acclaim—all while immersed in Paris’s rich artistic circles.

Through striking portraits, travel sketches, and rare studies, the exhibition reveals how Sargent’s early years shaped his distinctive style and his place in art history. Highlights include multiple preparatory works for Madame X, alongside portraits of Parisiennes by his contemporaries, offering a vivid snapshot of the city’s late 19th-century art scene.

Images: (top) John Singer Sargent, American, Florence 1856–1925 London, Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau) 1883-1884, Oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Center) John Singer Sargent, American, Florence 1856 - 1925 London An Out-of-Doors Study (Paul Helleu Sketching with his Wife) 1889, Oil on canvas, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Museum Collection Fund.(bottom) John Singer Sargent, American, Florence 1856 – 1925 London, Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast 1882-1883, Oil on canvas, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

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