Sargent and Fashion

Sumptuous exhibition at Tate Britain looking at how John Singer Sargent used and represented clothes.

I had done a talk on the show online the night before which helped me to pace the show but I got far more from the exhibition itself. The pictures were sparsely hung with good commentaries about how they were composed and the stories of the sitters.

I loved the inclusion of real clothes, in some cases the actual ones in the paintings. This made it possible to compare reality with Sargent’s artistic licence.

There was a clever room at the end which looked at Sargent’s later work when he moved away from portraits but continued his interest in painting people and clothing. I loved the idea of him venturing up the alps with a dressing up box.

It was lovely to find old friends from the Tate but also to make new ones and well as seeing some famous faces, such as Madame X and Dr Pozzi.

I loved the balance of artistic technique, fashion and biography in the show.

Closed 7 July 2024


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