JOHN SINGER SARGENT: SARGENT and PARIS - now showing at THE MET (along with other unexpected pleasures).
Not knowing all that much about Sargent but always loving Paris, this was worth the trip for the details and a few surprises.
On the train heading home from New York after a visit to The Met to see the “Sargent and Paris” exhibition. I am not an art historian. So I hope and trust that
and anyone else who might care to, will give some context to what I make note of here. I’ve given myself the hour train ride to compose this; otherwise, I will overthink and never share. (Note: I found composing on the mobile app maddening, and so I finished at home. It took about 2 hours total, because I am frightened of not giving proper credit to the people who created all this.)
As mentioned above, I will cheat and share images of museum labels I saw next to the works for attribution and context. Sargent (1856 -1925) rocked the Paris art world after arriving at the tender age of 18 in 1874. In his one decade in Paris, he achieved what his heart and talent desired. As he wrote to his friend Claude Monet in 1887, “My heart is set on not letting myself be forgotten in Paris.” (From the “Directors’ Foreword” of the Sargent and Paris exhibition book. Max Hollein & Sylvian Amic, from The Met and Musees d’Orsay, respectively.) It’s good to have friends like Monet and Henry James! (Follow this link to learn a little more about Sargent and James: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/21429.) I was so bummed to find Sargent’s portrait of James wasn’t a part of the show, having been “returned to lender.” I’m certain The Met was as well.
On to the masterwork at the center of the exhibition:
You can dig deeper into why Sargent’s Madame X was a cause célèbre in Paris, but here is the gist:
Please forgive the photo blurriness; it was crowded, and I didn’t want to block anyone out from the work. Being honest, I also don’t wish to retype it tonight.
Meanwhile, as I moved away from the center and the crowds, many details brought Sargent and his work to life for me.
His study for Madame X:
His early sketches of her (“more studies of her than any other sitter in his entire career.” - The Met museum label):
Further away from the Sargent fans surrounding Madame X, a portrait grabbed my attention from across the room. I locked in and thought, “This man has the eyes of a killer.”
Stepping closer, I saw the glimmer of his sword (“sabre?”) and then read about him:
The man was a 19th-century French badass. I tip my sabre to him and wish we were somehow friends.
Moving along, I found a Sargent scrapbook ( a scrapbook?!?!) in a dark corner that everyone was ignoring:
I wish I could have gently viewed all the pages. I hope somebody shoots or scans this.
So I left Sargent in Paris and wandered not far away on the same floor.
Wait. What? I thought this painting was huge and in Chicago with Ferris Bueller? It was when I last visited it and Hoppper’s Nighthawks (my favorite) at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh. Study for “A Sunday on the La Grande Jatte,” 1884. I did not know this existed.
The details:
and yes the way he framed it, even as a study:
I enjoyed all of this and more today. If you can get yourself there, it’s worth the $30 museum admission charge. There are pricing exceptions you can look up on the site. The Sargent and Paris exhibition does not require a separate or timed ticket.
If you can’t see the exhibition, the book is thorough, beautifully printed, and well-conceived by Yale Press and all involved. It’s worth the $50 price tag if you love Sargent.
Sargent and Paris runs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through August 3, 2025. The museum is open two nights a week until 9 pm*, and the Cantor Roof Garden* deck, with its spectacular views of Central Park, is romantic and, on its own, worth the admission price. Best of all, most people don’t know it’s there.
Finally, always check times and days. I checked for this post, but please double-check!
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PS: Any errors in my presentation or improper methodology in attribution or credits belong to me. Call me out, and I will make the necessary repairs and improvements. Let me know if you see the show!
THE MET
*Hours: Sunday–Tuesday and Thursday: 10 am–5 pm
Extended Hours: Friday and Saturday: 10 am–9 pm
Closed: Wednesday
Cantor Roof deck
*Hours: Monday:11.00 - 16.15 Tuesday:11.00 - 16.15
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday:11.00 - 16.15 Friday:11.00 - 20.15 Saturday:11.00 - 20.15 Sunday:11.00 - 16.45