Fashioned by Sargent

This exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is the first to focus on Sargent’s sartorial eye, revealing how a close attention to dress helped bring his portraits to life (8 October–15 January 2024). The painter was highly selective about his sitters’ garments and would often choose their outfits in advance, or alter their appearance once they arrived in his studio. All of this was done to highlight and express distinctive personalities, social positions, professions and nationalities. The show includes more than 50 works, ranging from the infamous Madame X (1883–84) to the demure Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1892). Many paintings are paired with original garments and accessories – including the gem-encrusted costume of golden silk seen in La Carmencita (Carmen Dauset Moreno) (c. 1890). Find out more at the MFA Boston’s website.

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La Carmencita (Carmen Dauset Moreno) (c. 1890), John Singer Sargent. Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; photo: © RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY

Costume for Carmen Daucet Moreno (Carmencita) (c. 1890). Private collection. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; photo: © Houghton Hall

Madame X (1883–84), John Singer Sargent. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; photo: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1892), John Singer Sargent. National Gallery of Scotland. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston