 | After causing a scandal with his exhibition of the scantily clad portrait of "Madame X" in Paris, in 1884 John Singer Sargent had one of his works voted "worst picture of the year" by a popular British magazine. However, critics and the public are fickle, and three years later, he was the most popular portrait painter in both the U.K. and the U.S, with the upper-class of the new and old worlds clamoring for portraits. Born in Italy to American parents, Sargent traveled back and forth across the Atlantic throughout his life, spending time all over Europe. His paintings are still highly prized for their strength of brushwork, bold color work, and sensitive portrayal of their subjects. |
