JOHN SINGER SARGENT - PORTRAIT OF MADAME X 1884

“Madame X” is a portrait of Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, or Madame Gautreau. Madame Gautreau was an American expatriate originally from Louisiana. She had moved to Paris, France, with her family when she was eight years old. She was renowned for her beauty and sophistication.

Madame Gautreau was painted at the request of Sargent himself, who hoped he could use her popularity to increase his notoriety. Many artists sought to paint Madame Gautreau, as they were enamoured by her unusual beauty, but she had denied most of them.

When this painting was first shown at the Paris Salon of 1884, Madame Gautreau’s right strap was depicted as fallen off her shoulder. The strap, the amount of bare skin visible, and the heavy makeup on her face resulted in a mostly negative review from critics. The public viewed it as flaunting her immorality.

Sargent, trying to safeguard his reputation, repainted her strap so that it was back on her shoulder. Regardless, this scandal ruined his reputation in Paris. Shortly after, Sargent gave up the city of light and relocated to London, England, where he stayed and finally acquired the respect as a portrait artist that he was seeking.

Seven years later, in 1891, Madame Gautreau was painted again. This portrait, by the French artist Gustave Courtois, displays her in a very similar manner, in profile with a dress with one shoulder strap down. The dress, however, is white. Interestingly, this painting was a success when it was unveiled, perhaps speaking to the changing social norms of the time.