Lecture Virtual

Inventing the Gilded Age: Art and Scandal — Sargent’s "Madame X"

Thursday, February 17, 2022

“The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost…”

So reads the synopsis of HBO’s new period drama, The Gilded Age, helmed by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame and set in late 19th century New York City. Inspired by the HBO show, this winter we are featuring “Inventing the Gilded Age,” a series of conversations that dive into the era of the Nickerson Mansion.

In “Art and Scandal,” scholar Debra N. Mancoff takes us into the world of American expats and their demi-monde across the ocean in Paris through the lens of one very famous painting. Born in Louisiana as Virginie Amélie Avegno, Madame Gautreau made her name in Paris as a ‘Professional Beauty’ with a penchant for revealing gowns and a painted face. But it was her famous portrait, “Madame X,” that earned her unwelcome notoriety rather than aspirational fame. American expatriate artist John Singer Sargent ignited the scandal of the season when his painting debuted at the Salon of 1884. His risqué depiction of Madame Gautreau with one strap of her dress dangerously slipping off her shoulder was met with shock and outrage by both critics and the public. Sargent had to re-paint the work and soon after abandoned Paris for London to become the leading portrait painter of the international elite in Europe and in Gilded Age America.

Join us as we delve into another look at the American Gilded Age and one of the most iconic masterpieces in the history of art.

Important Note: This program will be held ONLINE ONLY and will be recorded. After the program has concluded, a link to the recording will be sent to all registrants of the program.

About the Speaker:

Chicago-based author Debra N. Mancoff writes about the intersection of art, culture and fashion. She earned her doctorate in Art History (Victorian Art and Culture) at Northwestern University, lectures regularly at many of the major museums in the United States and Great Britain and is a Scholar-In-Residence at the Newberry Library. Her books include Dante Gabriel Rossetti: Portraits of Women (V&A/Thames & Hudson); Secrets of Art: Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art (Frances Lincoln); The Face: Our Human History (British Museum/Thames & Hudson); The Garden in Art (Merrell); The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers (Prestel).

Image Credit:

A. Giraudon. Sargent in his Atelier, circa 1884. Wikimedia