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99th out of 304 books
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488 voters
Strapless
by
Deborah Davis (Goodreads Author)
The subject of John Singer Sargent's most famous painting was twenty-three-year-old New Orleans Creole Virginie Gautreau, who moved to Paris and quickly became the "it girl" of her day. A relative unknown at the time, Sargent won the commission to paint her; the two must have recognized in each other a like-minded hunger for fame.
Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau...more
Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau...more
Paperback, 262 pages
Published
May 3rd 2004
by Tarcher
(first published 2003)
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I read this book in August 2008 and have been meaning to review it ever since. For shame.
Most people know John Singer Sargent's infamous painting "Madame X" even if they don't know the name and have never heard of the artist because this painting has quite the sensational story attached to it.
According to surrounding lore, Sargent initially painted "Madame X" with the right strap of her black gown slipping off of her shoulder.When the painting debuted at the 1884 Salon in Paris ( the place to ha...more
Most people know John Singer Sargent's infamous painting "Madame X" even if they don't know the name and have never heard of the artist because this painting has quite the sensational story attached to it.
According to surrounding lore, Sargent initially painted "Madame X" with the right strap of her black gown slipping off of her shoulder.When the painting debuted at the 1884 Salon in Paris ( the place to ha...more
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I was expecting this book to be historical fiction, and was pleasantly surprised to find it a well-researched, completely factual account of John Singer Sargent, the woman known as Madame X, and the scandal caused by a fallen strap.
In the late 1800s, John Singer Sargent submitted a portrait of Amelie Gautreau, a beautiful Parisian socialite, to the annual Paris Salon, which was a yearly exhibition of art. The painting showed Amelie standing at a table wearing a slinky black dress and looking to...more
In the late 1800s, John Singer Sargent submitted a portrait of Amelie Gautreau, a beautiful Parisian socialite, to the annual Paris Salon, which was a yearly exhibition of art. The painting showed Amelie standing at a table wearing a slinky black dress and looking to...more
This book entered my life on pure chance. I had read The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris last summer (2012) and LOVED it for its in-depth portrayal of Americans in Paris during the Belle Epoque (and a little before and after that time as well). One of the most fascinating aspects of the book (for me) was the tidbit about the portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargeant. McCullough talks about the controversy of the painting but did not go into as much detail as I would have liked but nevert...more
Another piece of nonfiction by the same author as GUEST OF HONOR(the Booker T. Washington book) above. In this one, author investigates the background, history, and life of the woman who posed for this well-known John Singer Sargent portrait.
You might think, “Oh, so this is kind of like ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’!” (One coworker who I was talking do said this.) I would have to say, “Not really.” GWaPE is definitely historical nonfiction but this one is definitely nonfiction and a lot more base...more
You might think, “Oh, so this is kind of like ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’!” (One coworker who I was talking do said this.) I would have to say, “Not really.” GWaPE is definitely historical nonfiction but this one is definitely nonfiction and a lot more base...more
A friend whose taste in books I trust offered me this book; she said it was "the darling of book groups everywhere." I can see why. This isn't a novel about a painting a la Girl with the Pearl Earring, it's a well researched but highly readable story about the woman & the artist who created the portrait of Madame X. What I know about art history is minimal at best, but I know John Singer Sargent is best known at a portrait artist. Did I see this painting when I took Art 10? I don't remember...more
Fascinating book about the John Singer Sargent portrait "Madame X" and the woman behind it, Amelie Gautreau ("the unpaintable beauty and hopeless laziness of Madame Gautreau"). Not only is the time period fascinating (love the Belle Epoque) but the cast of characters seem more from fiction than non-fiction. It's mind-boggling that this portrait caused so much scandal with its loose strap when Parisians had infidelity hours (4-5 - get your affairs on!) Not to mention, I'd think Sargent's "Dr. Poz...more
Excellent book which explores the life of John Singer Sargent and his model Amelie Gautreau who was the subject of the infamous Madame X portrait. The book captures the flavor of Paris during the time of the Belle Époque. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and found it both informative and interesting. I read it electronically and found myself frequently searching for images of the paintings they referenced. The black and white poor quality images that accompanied the book certainly d...more
I'm going easy on this review partly because it was a very entertaining read and made my lunch break at work more enjoyable and partly because I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Davis's writing wasn't half as vacant as I expected it to be from her bio on the back.
Strapless is not, as others have commented, a particularly deep or scholarly work. It's a light, entertaining read for those already familiar with Sargent's works who wish to know a little more about one of his most famous sub...more
Strapless is not, as others have commented, a particularly deep or scholarly work. It's a light, entertaining read for those already familiar with Sargent's works who wish to know a little more about one of his most famous sub...more
A nineteenth-century Parisian society beauty is shallow? How surprising! And yet John Singer Sargent's amazing portrait of Madame X (Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau) portrays her in such an enigmatic, intriguing light, I somehow hoped to hear she was something more than that. That is, of course, not the fault of Deborah Davis's 2004 book about the painting, its subject, and the artist, but it may have colored my reception. The book is popular biography, filled with fairly basic analyses of backg...more
I'd put this more between a 3 and 4 star. The narrative quality of Davis' writing style doesn't get in the way, by that I mean it doesn't come off as a historical fiction novel. I hate those. The amount of research Davis was able to do is very impressive, and she does a good job of reconstructing both Sargent and Amelie Gautreau with such little concrete information on their personal lives and feelings. The time she spends on Sargent's development as a painter is of particular interest. Davis al...more
Wonderful book about my favorite painting. It's also a biography of its artist and model. It felt like the author was unnecessarily smug about Amelie's later years when she became a recluse. Later, she seemed to take a similar satisfaction in reporting the aging of another virile character of the time. Lesson: beauty is fleeting, but some try to hold onto it. Got it. She seemed to blame Amelie for not realizing she was going to age. Aside from that, it is a fascinating look into the world of 19t...more
Strapless by Deborah Davis is the true story of Amelie Gautreau, a Creole living in Paris who posed for John Singer Sargent. Her portrait caused a scandal at the time and she never bought the painting from him. He titled this painting Madame X and it became one if the famous paintings in the history of art. The book explores the family and life of Amelie and her family in New Orleans before and after the Civil War. It also tells Sargent's story. I really liked the book and the background story o...more
Picked this up in the Boston MFA bookshop in October. Have always been fascinated by Sargent's portrait and what I once read was its scandalous history. There is quite a bit more to it. The author genuinely tries to create a sense of Victorian Paris, the dynamic between Americans and Europeans, and the role of the artist, especially the portraitist in navigating and delineating that world. Sometimes, she is a bit clumsy getting her facts out, but often she draws interesting relationships to help...more
I loved this book! It was fascinating to learn about both the background of the portrait and sitter along with the painting's reception. Hard to imagine exhibiting a painting and being faced with reviews that described it as "hideous" and "nauseating" and calling her skin tones "Corpse-ish" and "moldy". Besides reading about the scandal associated with Madame X, the book is packed with lots of interesting tidbits about life and society during Sargent's lifetime. For instance Sargent's portrait o...more
The subject of John Singer Sargent's most famous painting was twenty-three-year-old New Orleans Creole Virginie Gautreau, who moved to Paris and quickly became the "it girl" of her day. A relative unknown at the time, Sargent won the commission to paint her; the two must have recognized in each other a like-minded hunger for fame.
Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau's portrait generated the attention she craved-but it led to infamy rather than stardom. Sargent had painted one strap of Gaut...more
Unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, Gautreau's portrait generated the attention she craved-but it led to infamy rather than stardom. Sargent had painted one strap of Gaut...more
I cannot wait to get back to New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to visit Madame X once again. Always one of my favorite paintings, I recently ran across 2 books about Amelie Avegno Gaurtreau, John Singer Sargent and the scandal of the 1884 Salon in Paris. THis is the better of the two books, but both equally quick and entertaining reads. I was thinking on the way to work in the casual carpool how often I go to museums, I love art, but how little I know or imagine the history of each pai...more
(p. 161) "The concept of looking was even explicit in the name given to the building that temporarily housed the dead. The word morgue derives from the old French morguer, which means 'to look at fixedly'...At some time the morgue evolved from a purely functional municipal building to one of the busiest theaters in Paris. Admission was free and the show changed daily...As many as a million visitors would walk through the viewing rooms each year, horrified or thrilled--or both--by what they saw.....more
There was a lot that I liked about this book. It told enough of the background of Amelie's life and of the history of Paris to really get a good feel for the time without going into too much detail. The character sketches were good. But then Davis told what happened to many of the people whose portraits Seargent had painted, but who didn't really play an integral part of the story of Madame X, so the end felt...odd. And, like most art history books, there weren't enough pictures. Davis kept refe...more
Way back when I worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and this happens to be one of the paintings owned by the museum. I was in a shop that didn't do much business saw the book and decided why not. Lets just say I own the book now and here's why:
When I saw the book i became interested because of the scandal that portrait brought at the time. Madame X was the woman to talk about and this painting and story bring forward who she was and who she became after Sergeant painted this portrait. All...more
When I saw the book i became interested because of the scandal that portrait brought at the time. Madame X was the woman to talk about and this painting and story bring forward who she was and who she became after Sergeant painted this portrait. All...more
"Strapless" is an extraordinary book, which I thoroughly enjoyed! It is the true story of the intriguing Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau and the artist, John Singer Sargent, who painted her controversial portrait and called it "Madame X". Interestingly enough, I viewed this painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art just a few weeks ago. The events in "Strapless" take place in New Orleans, Paris, and London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The story is populated by such characters, as...more
One of those non-fiction books that's not exactly gripping, but interesting enough to keep me reading. But also, I had to read it fast in case I forgot what/who was going on. This book is about the subject and painter of a famous painting done in the 1880s. I was most struck by the sad lives of rich people in the Belle Epoque. Loose morals, children being raised by nanny types, ageing women ignored and marginalized, malls and advertisements creating a false sense of purpose in an overly commerci...more
I love this book so much. I've read it twice and anticipate reading it again someday. JSS is one of my very favorite artists; this book is an engrossing trip back to the late 19th century and you will find yourself imagining things as they were then, as you read. What was hip, hot & happening then (art nouveau, Paris art salons, society, absinthe, Arts & Crafts movement...) is now the mind candy for romantics with a rich inner world - and, happily, the left-behind historical pieces (JSS'...more
This is a nonfiction book about the woman "Madame X" in the John Singer Sargent painting. I knew nothing about the painting or painter before reading. the author does a good job of painting a picture of Parisian society in the late 1800s. when Sargent's painting of this woman appeared and showed her with a fallen strap on her gown, it created a horrible scandal. I can't imagine the amount of research that went into writing this book. It's an enjoyable read, though. The author describes the lives...more
The book itself could have used some better editing, as the author has trouble weaving together two different life stories as well as the necessary cultural background.
But the stories themselves are fascinating, especially to fans of late 1800s art. This tells the tale of an artist, a society woman, and the role art played in 19th century French society. It, of course, includes rivalries, vanities, and great supporting characters like famous authors, overbearing mothers, and a lothario doctor th...more
But the stories themselves are fascinating, especially to fans of late 1800s art. This tells the tale of an artist, a society woman, and the role art played in 19th century French society. It, of course, includes rivalries, vanities, and great supporting characters like famous authors, overbearing mothers, and a lothario doctor th...more
The first time I ever visited the MET. I felt clueless, lost and dumb. So, I took a tour with an art guide. As we explored various American paintings, one painting just wouldn't let me move past it. Madame X. I was taken by the painting, its story and immediately got my hands on this book.
For somebody who doesn't know art, it introduces you to what the art world was like back then. It takes you through John Singer Sargent's journey towards Madame X and the story of Madame X herself.
Definitely a...more
For somebody who doesn't know art, it introduces you to what the art world was like back then. It takes you through John Singer Sargent's journey towards Madame X and the story of Madame X herself.
Definitely a...more
The subject matter was fascinating -- the Creole beauty who is the subject of Sargent's Madame X, the social milieu of Belle Epoque Paris, Sargent's life and work. It's all good as long as the book sticks to details like the society hoopla surrounding the annual Varnishing Day before each Academy exhibition.
Davis, however, isn't a particularly inspired writer. She has nothing interesting to say about the unique atmosphere of Belle Epoque bohemia, or about Impressionism or Academic art (I got th...more
Davis, however, isn't a particularly inspired writer. She has nothing interesting to say about the unique atmosphere of Belle Epoque bohemia, or about Impressionism or Academic art (I got th...more
Apr 05, 2008
Carolyn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
art & social historians
Recommended to Carolyn by:
Washington Post Book World
This book is about the famous painting of Madame Virgnie Amelie Avango Gautreau painted by John Singer Sargent in the 1880's in Paris. She,a beauty of French ethenticity, was deemed to be the epitome of true French beauty in her figure, fashion and her grand style. Madame Gautreau was born in Louissana and lived a spoiled life on the family's plantation. Her father's death changed her financial circumstances and she fled to Paris to make her way in French high society. At nineteen she married we...more
It was a well developed history book. I enjoyed hearing about the lives of people of the past and the history they lived in. I especially enjoyed how the author explained what was happeneing in current events to help the reader get a sense of what was going on in society. I think some of it was too long, but it was still quick to get through. I liked learning about the paintings and the subjects then looking them up online, I do wish there were some color examples but it was fine googling as wel...more
Strapless is the story of Amelie Gautreau, John Singer Sargent and the painting known to the world as Madame X. The book is so well written you feel like you are right there in the salons and art studios of Paris watching events unfold instead of reading them in a book. The detailed research provides insight into all the factors that led to the portrait of Amelie causing such scandal among the art community and the aristocracy, but never turns into a lecture of facts devoid of emotion.
Although this book starts out as a biography of Virginie Amélie Gautreau, the story is as much or more the life of John Singer Sargent, who painted Amelia’s portrait. She was a beautiful ex-pat American who lived in Paris and enjoyed a high place in society until Sargent’s portrait of her with one strap of her dress hanging down on her arm was displayed at the annual art show of the Paris Salon. Paris was shocked, and Mme. Gautreau was mortified. The painting is now in the Metropolitan Museum in...more
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“When he was very excited, [John Singer] Sargent would rush at his canvas with his brush poised for attack, yelling, 'Demons, demons, demons!' When he was particularly angry or frustrated, he expressed these feelings with 'Damn,' the only curse he allowed himself. He once had the expletive inscribed on a rubber stamp so he could have the satisfaction of pounding it on a piece of paper.”
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“If there was a volcano under their feet, a Vesuvius that could erupt and bury this modern-day Pompeii at any moment, the best thing to do was dance on it. ”
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