The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts recently hosted a major exhibition of John Singer Sargent’s work titled “Fashioned by Sargent”. It included many of his most well known portraits like Madame X, Lady Agnew, Lord Ribblesdale, Dr. Pozzi and Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. Altogether, there were about fifty paintings on view. The overall theme of the exhibition focused around fashion and the important role that it played in Sargent’s portraits and the clients who sat for them. In many ways, Sargent had the final word when it came to what his sitters wore and how they were posed. One of the unique things about this exhibit is that there were several dresses and articles of clothing that were actually worn by some of the sitters who are seen in Sargent’s portraits.

There are a few artists whose work I will go out of my way to see. John Singer Sargent is one of them. In the past, I’ve driven for hours just to view one of Sargent’s original portraits in person and have the opportunity to study it up close. This time, I flew to Boston after learning that there would be about fifty paintings on display in this show, with a majority of them being many of his most well known portraits. The last time that I saw a Sargent show of this magnitude was about 24 years ago in Washington, D.C.

When first entering the exhibition, the viewer is presented with a timeline of Sargent’s life, giving you a brief description of some of the major events that took place during his career. The photograph of Sargent in this display was taken by Sarah Choate Sears, a friend of the artist, and also the subject of one his portrait paintings in the exhibit.

Here are some photos of the first portrait that you see as you begin to make your way through the galleries. The dress that was on display is the actual garment that was worn by Lady Sassoon for her portrait which hangs on the nearby wall.

Here’s an example of some of the close up photos that I’ve been posting from the exhibit on my Instagram account for the past few weeks. To see more, visit www.instagram.com/brian_neher.

This exhibition now moves to the Tate Gallery in London, England, where it will be on display until July of this year. If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend visiting this incredible show. You won’t be disappointed.

I would also suggest taking a look at the “Fashioned by Sargent” book that accompanied the exhibit. It’s a great addition to any art library. I’ve recently added it to my Amazon storefront at www.amazon.com/shop/brian_neher for those who are interested. As an Amazon affiliate, I do earn commissions on qualifying purchases. If you’re a fan of John Singer Sargent’s work, I would also highly recommend taking a look at the “John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal” book. Both of these titles are listed in the Art Books section of my storefront.