VIFF Review: John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger

Sargent's portraits reveal character and fashion

Before watching the documentary John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger, I didn't know much about him, except that he painted portraits of wealthy people, mostly women, with their luxurious dresses, the folds captured with brushstrokes that had energy and flair.

The film directed by David Bickerstaff is from Seventh Art Productions, which focuses on artists like Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Edgar Degas to name a few. So you know this documentary will be one that fans of art and painting will appreciate. In this case there's the added dimension of fashion.

He went to Spain and was captivated by flamenco

Bickerstaff follows two exhibitions of Sargent's at the Tate in London and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and through several art experts as well as a fashion photographer, analyse the artist's work, give them context to explain how Sargent was one of the greatest artists of his time.

Sargent was born in Florence to American parents, his father an eye surgeon and his mother appreciated art and design. They quickly discovered their son had an artistic talent and encouraged him to study further in Munich, Florence and Paris. He was also fluent in several languages including French, English, and Italian. The family was relatively well-off after his mother inherited money from her family.

He followed artist Charles Auguste Emile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran; eventually the teacher saw his student surpassing him in his mastery, which in a way was his blessing that he could become a professional artist.

Portrait of Lady Sassoon

Carolus-Duran suggested Sargent study Velazquez and so he went to Spain and was captivated by flamenco dancing; he also did quick painting sketches of everyday life, which also enhanced his painting skills.

From there he began painting portraits of wealthy people, and the exhibition in Boston had Sargent's paintings next to the actual dresses his subjects wore to show the similarities and differences. The art experts pointed out how Sargent really paid attention to the fashion they were wearing and what image it portrayed, and at times took liberties with it. 

For example in his portrait of Lady Sassoon, she wore a black robe with a pink lining and if she wore it, one would not have been able to see the pink lining easily. But Sargent took liberties to make the pink lining show off, and create an S-shape from her shoulder down to her hip to make the eye travel down the painting. He was also doing black-on-black which can be difficult to pull off.

One of his famous paintings is called Madame X, who was actually Madame Pierre Gautreau. She was a young American socialite who married an older wealthy man in Paris. Sargent asked to paint her portrait and she wore a black dress with straps, not looking at the viewer.

Madame X

At first he painted one of the dress straps falling off and it caused such a stir that Gautreau and her mother begged Sargent to change it, but he refused. But in the end he changed it, but the scandal almost ended his painting career in Europe.

He later moved to England and then the United States, where he painted the portraits of nouveau riche.

One of the art experts in the documentary suggests that Sargent was gay, that he painted his male subjects with a slightly feminine air by the way their hands were posed and what they wore. Perhaps, as he never married...

Nevertheless, he inspired fashion photographer Tim Walker to create portraits in the style of Sargent, evoking a kind of fantasy with billowing fabric that he admitted were made of sheets of plastic. His portraits of Tilda Swinton are almost ethereal and hint sophistication.

Sargent was extremely passionate about creating art and he did it very well. Learned so much from this documentary!

John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger

Directed by David Bickerstaff

93 minutes

2024