Why it matters
The socialite Virginie Gautreau poses in a black satin dress with jewelled straps. At the 1884 Salon it caused a scandal; Sargent later repainted a strap that had slipped off her shoulder.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1884 at Sargent's own request, not as a commission.
- The Musée d'Orsay calls it the 'Mona Lisa' of the Met's American collection.
- Gautreau was a New Orleans-born socialite in Paris.
Based on the Wikipedia article Portrait of Madame X (CC BY-SA 4.0).
