John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892 National Galleries of Scotland.
Celebrated for his striking portrait paintings, this exhibition at Tate Britain sheds new light on John Singer Sargent’s acclaimed works. It explores how he worked like a stylist to craft the image of the sitters he painted, with whom he often had close relationships.
Join art historian and lecturer Lucrezia Walker and discover how Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express identity and personality. He regularly chose the outfits of his sitters or manipulated the fall of their clothing. This innovative use of costume was central to his artwork – for example, tugging a heavy coat tighter around a man to emphasise his figure or letting a dress strap sensuously slip from a woman’s shoulder. It was these daring sartorial choices that allowed him to express his vision as an artist.
Almost sixty of Sargent’s paintings are on display, including major portraits that rarely travel. Several period garments are also showcased alongside the portraits in which they were worn. The exhibition examines how this remarkable painter used fashion to create portraits of the time, which still captivate today.
The exhibition Sargent and Fashion is at Tate Britain from 22 February to 7 July 2024.
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This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.