John Singer Sargent: Painting the Age of Elegance

In the 1890s John Singer Sargent complained to friends that he was painting three sitters a day ‘with scarcely an interval between each sitting’.

Sargent is today known for his dazzling society portraits; from presidents to oil magnates, patrons of the arts to aspirational tycoons.

The most famous of these is the alluring ‘Madame X’ – a painting of a beautiful woman in an iconic ‘little black dress’. It caused a complete scandal in Parisian society.

But Sargent’s portraits are only one expression of his artistic talent. He also created sun-drenched landscapes, beach scenes, and intimate works depicting childhood.

Come and explore the unexpectedly varied work of this 19th Century master.