WHAT? Sargent and Fashion 

WHERE? Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG

WHEN? Now until 7th July 

WHY GO? For art couture!  If ‘clothes maketh the man', they certainly helped enhance the sartorial splendour of Sargent’s lavish works.  His portraits are renowned for their attention to the nuances of fashion, be it a shoulder strap or a tight collar.  Just as a fashion stylist would today, he encouraged his sitters to make the most of their attire, even personally tweaking and folding with the eye of a couturier. 

This is the premise for a lavish landmark exhibition that portrays Sargent’s passion for giving his sitters an air of opulence. 

Perhaps the most pertinent quote, “I am in the thick of dress-making and painting”, sums it up most succinctly. 

Many of Sargent’s glorious portraits are shown alongside the period dresses and accessories worn by the famous sitters themselves adding extra flair to the whole show.

The highlight is undoubtedly, Madam X.  She was Madame Pierre Gautreau, whose racy portrait scandalised society at the Paris Salon in 1884. 

Sargent painted her with an errant shoulder strap but was obliged to re-address it after much to-do to achieve a more modest outcome.

As a result of the rumpus, he concealed her real name but it was always his personal favourite painting and took him over a year to finish.

Hot on the heels of all the global Fashion Weeks, it’s already attracting a fashion crowd and has been curated in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston where Sargent had a long and fruitful friendship.

IN THE KNOW Singer Sargent’s famed painting, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose 1885-6, inspired Welsh musician Meilyr Jones to compose a special piece of music which was performed in front of the painting at the Tate in 2017. 

Generally headlining festivals like Glastonbury and Latitude, it was Jones's first classical composition and truly captures the serenity of the painting.  Listen online for free at Tate.