Blonde model c. 1877

John Singer Sargent painted this oil sketch titled "Blonde Model" at the turn of the 20th century. Here, Sargent appears to be toying with the conventions of academic portraiture. Typically, portraiture was commissioned by wealthy patrons wishing to assert their status. This image offers a different perspective. The artist is more concerned with the formal challenges of depicting light and shadow than the model's social standing. The bare shoulders and intimate gaze may have been considered risqué at a time when the female body was highly policed. The absence of specific details about the sitter directs our attention towards the institution of art itself. What does it mean to represent the human body, and who has the power to do so? By consulting letters, exhibition reviews, and other archival documents, we can begin to understand how paintings like this challenged the norms of their time.