Madame X — John Singer Sargent (1883-84)

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The strap was originally falling off her shoulder.

As first exhibited at the 1884 Paris Salon, the right strap of the gown hung slipped from her shoulder — a scandal so severe that Sargent repainted it in place. The original state survives in an 1885 photograph and a study. He kept the painting for thirty years, called it "the best thing I have done," and sold it to the Met on condition her name be disguised — hence Madame X.

Honest scale — the original is nearly life-size: 208.6 × 109.9 cm (6′10″ tall). Our sizes are Room Editions; 12 × 16″ is about 37% of true size. The Met's file caps the print size and we don't upscale past it.
Verified story — the strap repaint and renaming, sourced at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's own essays.
Source recorded — the Met's open-access scan (195 DPI at our largest size) on matte canvas. Made to order.

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The story of this painting

The Story Behind Sargent's Madame X

The most scandalous detail in this painting isn't visible anymore. Sargent painted over it himself, after Paris society couldn't stop talking about it.

What you're looking at

Madame X is a nearly life-size portrait, standing 208.6 x 109.9 cm tall, of a woman in a black evening gown, her pale skin set off dramatically against the dark dress and background. Sargent painted it between 1883 and 1884, and the pose, turned sharply in profile, was unusual and striking for a formal portrait of its era.

The strap that caused a scandal

As first exhibited at the 1884 Paris Salon, the gown's right strap hung slipped off the sitter's shoulder. The reaction was severe enough that Sargent repainted the strap back into place on the shoulder, where it remains today. That earlier, more scandalous version survives only in an 1885 photograph and a preparatory study, documented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which now owns the painting.

Sargent kept the painting himself for roughly thirty years after the scandal, reportedly calling it "the best thing I have done." When he finally sold it to the Met, he did so on the condition that the sitter's real identity be disguised, which is why the painting carries the name Madame X rather than her actual name.

One detail to look for

Look closely at the right shoulder strap. It sits in a slightly different position and brushwork than the rest of the dress, the visible trace of Sargent's repair to a scandal that once threatened his career.