Emily Sargent 1877

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Emily Sargent," painted in 1877 using oil paint. I’m immediately struck by the texture; you can almost feel the layers of paint he used. What aspects of the piece draw your attention? Curator: Immediately, I see a commentary on the means of production available at the time. Sargent's use of oil paint, and particularly impasto, elevates a material typically used for reproduction into a unique object of value. But also think about the clothing and the jewelry. How were those produced? The materiality hints at the societal context that produced it, where manufacturing practices resulted in elaborate consumer goods, signifiers of status carefully displayed. Editor: So, the way Sargent handles the oil paint and portrays her attire comments on industrial advancements during that era? Curator: Precisely. Notice how the loose brushwork contrasts with the detailed lace. It suggests a tension between the hand-made and the mass-produced, high art and decoration. It asks: Where do we place value and why? Furthermore, it is the artist who creates the status for her subject, turning what otherwise might have just been decorative painting into something truly more. Do you see now how the piece might also reflect broader societal tensions and debates? Editor: I hadn't considered it that way. Looking closer, it does make me wonder about the labor involved in making that lace, contrasting with Sargent’s artistic labour. The value lies in the process, as well as the status it ultimately signals. Curator: Exactly! Examining art through its materiality allows us to unpick narratives around production, class, and the construction of value, which helps us contextualize a painting within the period, and better understand Sargent’s techniques, and why the painting still speaks to us today. Editor: I’ll definitely view other portraits differently now. Thank you!