Sargent’s Portraits

The essay on “John Singer Sargent” originally did not resinate or interest me. However, after learning about his most famous oil painting, Madame X , and the controversy behind that portrait, I began to ponder on why there was such negative feed back on the painting. Thus, I began to observe the famous portrait myself. In my first encounter with the portrait, I immediately noticed that the portrait gave off a very realistic presence.  The portrait seemed as if it were a snapshot of a women in a distracted state. In addition, I also noticed the apparent contrast between the women’s snowy white skin and her revealing black night gown. The overall shadowed background also emphasized her already pale skin. Lastly, I noticed Sargent included a deep neckline and sharp profile features in his portrait of the women. Based on the observations I made, I came up with the theory that the reason why some many people perceived the portrait negatively was because the women in the portrait eluded with confidence and an unprecedented aura of sexuality loomed around her.  I hypothesize that the confidence that the women in the portrait had fueled negative reactions, because the confidence I saw may have had transformed into arrogance in the eyes of others. The people in the late nineteenth century probably  did not see arrogance as a positive trait, thus resulting in the portrait’s controversy.  The low-cut, thinly strapped dress also played a part in the portraits controversy because many saw it as scandalous, especially since in the original Madame X sketch the strap was  dropping off her shoulder. I believe the sexuality in this portrait was new to the people of that period. As a result it was rejected as a new style of art since sexualizing women in art was viewed as offensive. It is usually easier for the people to despise and reject something then for them to except it, just like it was easier for people to reject homosexuality than for them to accept it.

In regards to John Singer Sargent as an artist, I agree with the author of “Picture and Text”  that he is an bold and articulate artist. When I look at the portraits that Sargent has painted I think he captures the character of each person in his paintings very well. For example, from Sargent’s Doctor Pozzi painting, I get the feeling that Dr. Pozzi is a person of high status because of his attire, but he does not seem hard to approach. I also get the impression that Dr. Pozzi is a confident person, but not to the point where he seems obnoxious or cocky. In another one of Sargent’s works, Lady Play Fair , I get the impression that the woman in the portrait is proud of who she is, my guess is that she is house wife. From the portrait I imagine that she is also a well-mannered and educated lady. The ability of Sargent to present these human traits in a simple painting amazes me. It is  also a mystery of how and what combination of techniques Sargent uses to achieve this effect on its audience. I wonder what mysterious message I would would convey if I had my portrait painted by Sargent.