"Uncanny Spectacle” John Singer Sargent in Paris 1874-1884

Stephanie L. Herdrich, Curator of American Painting and Drawing at The Met, highlights the astonishing early career of John Singer Sargent—from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a precocious 18-year-old art student to the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X became a scandalous success at the Paris Salon. 

Through talent and social acumen, he quickly established himself at the center of artistic society, and his boldly ambitious paintings earned him critical acclaim and awards. Sargent would carry the lessons and friendships of this formative period throughout his extraordinary career.