1882, James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Black, No. 5: Lady Meux -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: American expatriate painter James McNeill Whistler exhibited this audacious portrait of Lady Meux (1852-1910) in a low-cut, black evening gown at the Salon in 1882. Two decades older than Sargent, Whistler had spent his career between Paris and London, with close ties to avant-garde artists in both cities. Whistler was less interested in realism than in the harmonious arrangement of color and texture to create a mood. His unconventional style fit the ambitions of his enterprising sitter, Lady Meux. Born Susan Langdon, daughter of a butcher, she scandalized London by marrying into a wealthy brewing family. Here, Lady Meux's black dress and shadowy background set off the dazzling whiteness of her powdered skin, lush fur, and extravagant diamond jewelry.
1882, James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Black, No. 5: Lady Meux -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: American expatriate painter James McNeill Whistler exhibited this audacious portrait of Lady Meux (1852-1910) in a low-cut, black evening gown at the Salon in 1882. Two decades older than Sargent, Whistler had spent his career between Paris and London, with close ties to avant-garde artists in both cities. Whistler was less interested in realism than in the harmonious arrangement of color and texture to create a mood. His unconventional style fit the ambitions of his enterprising sitter, Lady Meux. Born Susan Langdon, daughter of a butcher, she scandalized London by marrying into a wealthy brewing family. Here, Lady Meux's black dress and shadowy background set off the dazzling whiteness of her powdered skin, lush fur, and extravagant diamond jewelry.