Part of the fun of reading historical novels is the opportunity to experience a different era and way of life, all from the comforts of your favorite chair. A good historical novel not only captures the details of a particular time, but must also explore the different mindsets and attitudes of the era.
The Gilded Age was progressive in so many ways, but the notorious Madame X scandal underscores the rigidity of the era in regards to sexuality.
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was the rising star of the Gilded Age. His splendid portraits had vaulted him to the pinnacle of the artistic world, and he was sought after by aristocrats and robber barons to be immortalized in paint. In 1884 he was commissioned to paint Madame Gatreau, an American woman married to a Parisian banker. A famed beauty known for her provocative wardrobe, she allowed herself to be painted in a sexually suggestive manner, with one strap of her plunging gown brazenly slipping from her shoulder.
When the portrait was unveiled at the Academie des Beaux-Arts it caused an uproar on both sides of the Atlantic, destroying Gatreau’s reputation and knocking Sargent off his exalted pedestal. In an attempt to repair the damage, Sargent renamed the portrait Madame X and re-painted the dangling strap into its proper position, but the damage had been done. Commissions dried up and Sargent left France for friendlier climate in London.
Looking at the portrait today, it is hard to see what caused the uproar, but apparently the mere suggestion of sensuality was enough to ruin Sargent’s ability to earn a living in France. David McCullough recently wrote about the scandal in his book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. The scandal of Madame X is an intriguing glimpse into the attitudes of the gilded age, so different from our own.