Sargent and Paris

A fascinating look at John Singer Sargents formative years as a young painter in Paris, a city that helped forge his artistic identity and sparked his rise to the pinnacle of the nineteenth-century art world In 1874, eighteen-year-old American artist John Singer Sargent went to Paris to become a painter. A mere ten years later, he would be an art-world sensation, sparking controversy with his scandalous portrait Madame X at the 1884 Salon. Sargent and Paris focuses on this decisive early decade in the artists storied career, when he first achieved recognition for ambitious portraits and bold canvases that pushed the boundaries of convention. Incisive essays by the worlds foremost Sargent scholars explore his life in Paristhen the epicenter of the cultural worldand the cosmopolitan circle of artists, writers, and cultivated patrons that nurtured his career and helped forge his artistic identity. Authors highlight the painters connections to giants of the Parisian art scene as well as the influential patrons who were key to Sargents progression as an artist. Presented alongside lavish images of more than a hundred paintings and works on paperbrought together from public and private collections throughout the United States and Europethis publication offers an intimate look at the roots of Sargents signature, breathtaking style and his indelible experiences as a young artist in the French capital. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (April 27August 3, 2025) Muse dOrsay, Paris (September 22, 2025January 11, 2026)