Sargent and Paris

by Stephanie L. Herdrich, Caroline Corbeau-Parsons (contributor), Caroline Elenowitz-Hess (contributor)

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[Johannes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm sad to have missed the exhibition at the MET, and as things are I'm sure I'm also going the miss the Orsay's too, this book comes handy to replace part of what I lost by not being there. The work itself is worth every € I paid just for the images themselves, and not so well known works by Sargent, especially since they had never been gathered together before.

Now, as for the essays... most of them are not that interesting, and as other person had already weote here, Sargent's "Madame X" backstory in itself is the one we all want to read, and in that sense I skimmed most of them, especially since the essays, while quoting one another, failed to acknowledge they keep using the same facts, and pictures, and mentioning the same conversations, and pictures to the point of being both boring and redundant.

This of course does not disminish this book's value at all.

[Eileen Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautifully produced book, Sargent and Paris was created to accompany an exhibition of the same name that opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this summer. The reproductions alone make it a stand out, but the essays provide a readable account of Sargent's early development as an artist and his decade working in Paris. This relatively narrow focus provides a great platform for learning about Sargent's upbringing, his early recognition as a student, and his teacher Carolus-Duran.

The essays are rich in detail, succeeding in evoking both the character of Paris and the characters who defined the thriving and competitive cultural spheres of Paris. Even from art historians, these essays are highly readable and full of insight. The only drawback is that they seem to have been written in isolation: some information is repeated (not just once, but throughout several essays).

Of course, most readers will be drawn to the essays about Madame Gautreau, who was the subject of Sargent's infamous Madame X portrait. We learn about the ambitious woman, her marriage (which seemed mostly designed to provide a wealthy older man with a beautiful ornament), and the social reception of the daring work. In the end, the woman herself was no match for the portrait, which outlasted her fragile and haughty beauty. It is still one of the most iconic paintings of the 19th century, with a magic that still enchants in the 21st century.

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was 5/5. I recommend visiting the Met's exhibit on John Singer Sargent this summer.

The essays were interesting. JSS was a golden boy. It's surprising he considered himself American despite only having spent 2 years there.

The background on Madame X (the woman, the reputation) and why the portrait caused such a stir was needed. I wish he didn't alter the fallen dress strap after the Salon. The chapter was v funny when relaying people's catty/snobish/judgmental/haughty/pretentious opinions about the painting and the outrage it caused. People never change; they were sooooo dramatic in the 1880s.

JSS made people (especially women) seem real and personable, especially with the way they stand and stare. I am obsessed.

Favs
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sargent has been "having a moment", or rather, several of them over the past couple of years, with museums staging exhibitions that focus on aspects of his paintings and his life. The Metropolitan Museum of Art currently is showing "Sargent and Paris", which documents the rise of the artist's prominence as a portrait painter. The catalog is generously illustrated and presents essay topics ranging from Sargent's schooling in art to his advancement in Parisian society to his portrait of Madame X, a particularly interesting and detailed section of the book. "Sargent and Paris" zooms in on one of the most interesting periods of the artist's timeline and provides scholarship that I haven't seen addressed in other exhibition catalogs. While some of the paintings represented in the book have appeared in other publications, I never tire of viewing Sargent's handiwork. If you're a fan of the artist, I definitely recommend adding "Sargent and Paris" to your collection.

[Janet Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the catalog of the Sargent and Paris exhibit at the Musee D'Orsay in Paris which I was lucky enough to visit in October 2025. In addition to 61 plates of John Singer Sargent's paintings from the first decade of his career, which he spent in Paris, and photographs of many other of his paintings, the book contains eight extensive essays on various aspects of Sargent's history. One was a bit dense, and they overlapped a bit, but all were well worth reading. The essays did not focus exclusively on it at all, but I came away with a good understanding of the history of his most famous painting, Madame X. Reading the book added immensely to my knowledge of Sargent and my appreciation of his paintings when I saw them in person. Now I just need to learn more about the rest of his life.

[Adam Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, I think, the third exhibition book I’ve purchased after really enjoying a temporary museum exhibition. I’ve found it’s best to do so for the pictures rather than the accompanying essays, which are usually dull, unbearably pretentious, or both. Here, though, I think the essays here concerning Madame X itself were quite good. The others I didn’t enjoy much.

One amusing note is that not even contemporary Parisians seemed to have been able to spell “Gautreau”. While the Madame X title is generally seen as Sargent’s final act of spite to the woman who rejected the painting following its controversial reception, perhaps it was really a mercy for both modern readers and the Gautreau family.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume, designed to accompany an eponymous exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (on display until 3 August 2025) and Paris’s Musee d’Orsay (from 22 September 2025 to 11 January 2026), consists of eight essays interspersed with color plates and covers the ten years John Singer Sargent spent in Paris at the outset (outbreak might be the better word) of his career … of particular note, “Sargent and Gautreau: Fashioning Celebrity in Paris” celebrates the notoriety of Sargent’s “Portrait of Madame X” … so, hop on the next plane; this should not be missed …

[Ew Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I want to return to the exhibit - look again at each painting with the background, understanding, I have. Reading enjoyment could be improved if each essay's author took into consideration what others wrote -too much repetition of facts and ideas.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already a big fan of singer, Sargent but there was so much to read in this book that I didn’t know. A spectacular book, produced beautifully, and I read every word.

[Michele Millington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing plates and informative details about many of his portraits including Madame X

[Esopion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the exhibition last summer and I wanted to get a closer look with this book. This is SUCH a beautifully printed book! Very interesting and lots of notable paintings.