joseph scissorhands: Sargent and Fashion

John Singer Sargent - Portrait of Winifred, Duchess of Portland, 1902

Stylish swagger portraits in the Grand Manner publicly displaying the status and social aspirations of the sitters are the hallmark of this show, and Sargent (1856-1925) doesn't disappoint, executing these paintings with such self-assured bravura brushwork which I found to be very reminiscent of Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) here. Both were working at the same period and were equally adept at capturing the human form and describing a range lighting effects on both flesh and a range of fabric surface textures.

Sargent was born in Florence to American parents, trained in Paris, and greatly admired the paintings of Frans Hals and Diego Velázquez. Sargent was able to take advantage of the development of new chemical pigments in the late 19th century to create works in saturated colour.

This exhibition pairs certain portraits of socialites with the actual dresses or accessories that are depicted in the portraits. The exhibition also explains the extent to which Sargent personally styled his subjects, selecting the latest couture outfits from Paris for the subjects to be painted in, and then manipulating the dress by arranging and pinning the fabric until it suited his artistic ends. Sargent displays his artistic skills not only through his use of colour and composition, but also through his use of the chiaroscuro technique, contrasting areas of light and dark within the picture the better to highlight the sitters faces and hands, or enhance the sense of drama within the picture plane.

The haute couture dresses in their cases dotted about the exhibition appear almost like sculptures in themselves, standing proudly, unsupported by the frame of a human body. Many are created by the House of Worth one of the most notable fashion houses of the period, and created from sumptuous fabrics such as brocades or velvets, and have surfaces richly embellished with gold/silver embroidery or exquisite lace.

Of the subjects the women appear to fall into the vamp/femme fatale category or the dignified matriarch. The men are depicted as either bohemian dandies or dignified nobles, displaying the gravitas of their role in society through their ermines and military regalia. Personal highlights were the closely cropped portrait of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth (1889) with flowing red locks and green gown imperiously crowning herself, and the striking red robe and casual pose of Dr Pozzi at Home, 1881. Other favourites were the seductive come-hither looks of the sitters in the Portrait of Winifred Duchess of Portland, 1902, and Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892, and again the starkness of contrast in Madam X's lily-white skin against the blackness of her dress and dark background. Miss Elsie Palmer, 1889-90, is another striking portrait illustrating the vogue for that period of portraying women in white. I find Sargent's picture to be every bit as strong as Whistler's (here) on this theme. Even as a collagist I found this exhibition to be inspirational, and would imagine it to be invaluable to portrait painters and those of other painting genres alike.