Portrait of a Woman Scorned: Madame X
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| John Singer Sargent, Madame X, 1884 |
The Fairer Sex Treated Not-So Fairly
Curated by Katherine Anderson
Amelie Gautreau was the epitome of Parisian society of the nineteenth century - designer gowns, a wealthy spouse, regular exotic vacations, and ties to the artistic community. Yet every person worth talking about at the time had a secret life other than her appearance, chock-full of affairs unknown to the public eye. Amelie was no exception to this, and for years she climbed the social ladder of Paris, one bed at a time. Her porcelain skin and unique features made Amelie the epitome of beauty, grace, and affluence that each woman coveted. Yet with the slip of a single strap, Amelie Gautreau became the shunned figure known as Madame X.
Upon its unveiling at the Paris Salon of 1884, Madame X exemplified the utmost disrespect for the secrecy of the upper class. The fallen strap of Amelie Gautreau's classy black dress exposed this secret life and left Parisian society a shambles. What differentiated this portrait from a full-frontal nude was that Amelie appeared as a hoax, always covering her promiscuity with the facade of wealth and class. Paris' upper class didn't hate the painting itself, but rather what it implied. Though the fallen strap was eventually replaced to its rightful position on Amelie's shoulder, her recovery from her social downfall was never successful.
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