John Singer Sargent
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924), the subject of this painting, was a wealthy American art collector, patron, and founder of her own museum in Boston. John Singer Sargent, the artist, was a major society painter in turn-of-the-century America and Europe. Gardner and Sargent were good friends, and she collected several of his works.
Although it looks sedate compared to Sargent's more famous lady in black, Madame X, this painting caused a minor scandal. Unlike the typical female portrait of the day, it is direct and bold because Gardner faces her audience head-on. The low neckline on her dress attracts attention. So does her gold-and-ruby belt. According to some of the painting’s first viewers, the belt directed the eye to an immodest place.
The elaborate golden background is a textile in Gardner’s museum, and it seems to form a halo around her head. Combined with her serene pose, this makes her look like a figure from a medieval religious icon. Gardner was eccentric, flamboyant, and definitely comfortable making such a big statement. However, her more conservative husband was embarrassed by some of the comments the painting inspired at its first exhibition. He asked Isabella not to put it on display again during his life. She kept her promise, but the work now hangs in her museum in a room filled with Gothic art.
- Alexandra