President Woodrow Wilson,
President Woodrow Wilson, 1917
Oil paint on canvas
Sargent’s portrait of US President Wilson shows the more relaxed, less ostentatious way he depicted powerful North American men compared to their British counterparts. It was painted during the First World War, when Sargent submitted a blank canvas to a fundraising effort for the British Red Cross. Sargent agreed that he would paint a portrait if someone offered £10,000. The successful bidder had to nominate who would be the sitter. Irish dealer and collector Sir Hugh Lane offered to pay the amount, but died before the painting was made. He left his estate to the National Gallery of Ireland, who decided on President Wilson.*
From the exhibition
Sargent and Fashion
(February – July 2024)
Celebrated for his striking portrait paintings, this exhibition sheds new light on John Singer Sargent’s acclaimed works. It explores how he worked like a stylist to craft the image of the sitters he painted, who he often had close relationships with.
Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express identity and personality. He regularly chose the outfits of his collaborators or manipulated their clothing. This innovative use of costume was central to his artwork – for example, tugging a heavy coat tighter around a man to emphasise his figure or letting a dress strap sensuously slip from a woman’s shoulder. It was these daring sartorial choices that allowed him to express his vision as an artist.
Almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings will be on display, including major portraits that rarely travel. Several period garments will also be showcased alongside the portraits they were worn in. The show examines how this remarkable painter used fashion to create portraits of the time, which still captivate today.
[*Tate Britain]
All paintings by John Singer Sargent unless otherwise stated
Taken at Tate Britain
President Woodrow Wilson,
President Woodrow Wilson, 1917
Oil paint on canvas
Sargent’s portrait of US President Wilson shows the more relaxed, less ostentatious way he depicted powerful North American men compared to their British counterparts. It was painted during the First World War, when Sargent submitted a blank canvas to a fundraising effort for the British Red Cross. Sargent agreed that he would paint a portrait if someone offered £10,000. The successful bidder had to nominate who would be the sitter. Irish dealer and collector Sir Hugh Lane offered to pay the amount, but died before the painting was made. He left his estate to the National Gallery of Ireland, who decided on President Wilson.*
From the exhibition
Sargent and Fashion
(February – July 2024)
Celebrated for his striking portrait paintings, this exhibition sheds new light on John Singer Sargent’s acclaimed works. It explores how he worked like a stylist to craft the image of the sitters he painted, who he often had close relationships with.
Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express identity and personality. He regularly chose the outfits of his collaborators or manipulated their clothing. This innovative use of costume was central to his artwork – for example, tugging a heavy coat tighter around a man to emphasise his figure or letting a dress strap sensuously slip from a woman’s shoulder. It was these daring sartorial choices that allowed him to express his vision as an artist.
Almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings will be on display, including major portraits that rarely travel. Several period garments will also be showcased alongside the portraits they were worn in. The show examines how this remarkable painter used fashion to create portraits of the time, which still captivate today.
[*Tate Britain]
All paintings by John Singer Sargent unless otherwise stated
Taken at Tate Britain