It is interesting to note how controversial art can be. We take for granted the idea that controversial art is a new thing, when in fact it is not. Part of the beauty of art is how it can entice outrage and stir emotion. The work of John Singer Sargent is a perfect example.
Sarah Churchwell in her January 2015 article for The Guardian, “How John Singer Sargent Made a Scene,” makes clear how his most well known painting, Madame X, “inspired outrage, creating a succes de scandale when it was exhibited at the 1884 Paris Salon. Reviews either objected to Madame Gautreau’s appearance (some complaining at the powder-blue pallor of her skin, others at the depth of her decolletage or the shockingly wanton shoulder strap allowed to fall suggestively loose) or hailed the modernity of Sargent’s technique.”
Perhaps one of the many reasons art can be so controversial is because of a disconnect between the creator and audience. This disconnect is highlighted by Debra Brehmer’s October 2010 article, “Every Portrait Tells a Lie,” where she affirms, “When looking at portraits, think of this: Every portrait exposes a truth that rides on the inherent lies. Our existence is transitional and subjective and this is the condition that portraiture tries to absolve.” In other words, a portrait is inherently based on the painter’s perspective, and this is only more convoluted when one mixes in their personal perspective of the painter’s perspective.
This raises the question as to whether or not art can be appreciated from and objective or universal point of view. I would argue no because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps a thousand years or so ago art could be defined as good or bad objectively based on how accurate to real life a painting may or may not have been, but with the invention of the camera and the growth of art movements such as impressionism this is no longer the case. The question we all must contemplate now is whether or not that is a good thing. I believe it is a great thing, and I hope you do too.
I completely agree that Singer Sargent’s work is absolutely mesmerizing. The way it forces us to think about the subjects is very interesting. For example, I don’t only look at their faces to interpret what they were thinking. I also look at what they’re wearing and how they’re painted. In many of his works, I feel that he plays with a very strong light source and makes the shadows very dark. It is interesting that he mainly stuck to a darker color palate.
Very interesting take on John Singer Sargent. The greatest thing about art is all the different point of views that it can bring and those ideas being shared among many different people. I totally agree that art hits everyone in a different way because of their different upbringings. I do think art is a great thing because it can be interpreted from many different time periods, it gets people talking.