Through History
A new exhibition displays the iconic works of John Singer Sargent and explores his use of couture
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American artist John Singer Sargent made his name painting the portraits of the wealthy and elite. His work was noteworthy for the way his art showcased the individuality of the people he painted, with many of his sitters captured wearing beautiful and elaborate clothing. When painting his subjects, Sargent was known to hand pick the outfits they wore, and to physically alter and manipulate fabric to frame them. In one of Tate Britain’s latest exhibitions, Sargent and Fashion, a selection of Sargent’s portraits will be displayed to reveal the painter’s role as an artistic force in fashion and to delve into the society in which he worked.
Among the 60 paintings in Tate Britain’s exhibition, staged in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, are a selection of rare and significant works of Sargent’s that rarely travel. Also on display are a collection of outfits and fashion pieces that were worn by Sargent’s sitters, shown next to the portraits in which they feature. Through the lens of Sargent’s portraits, themes of patronage, societal subversion and shifting gender roles will all be explored, offering “the chance to discover and reconsider Sargent and his enduring influence.”
