Virginie Amélie Gautreau
She stands, tall, in her black dress, the epitome of class, style, and grace. Suspended in time as a relic from a gilded age of the past, her effortless attitude has made her cooler than cool for well over a century. Dubbed Madame X, her identity has been clouded in mystery, only adding to her allure. But in this episode we give Madame X back her name and share her incredible life story.
Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Virginie Amélie Gautreau, an American-born socialite who sent shock waves through Paris with her avant-garde outfits and experimental make-up. Her story traverses the Atlantic, taking us from the French Quarter of New Orleans to Paris at the height of its golden age.
In this episode, we explore her rise to celebrity status and the infamous painting that led to it all crashing down.
Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Virginie Amélie Gautreau:
This Episode is Produced by Kula Production Company.
REFERENCES
Davis, Deborah. Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X. Tarcherperigee, 2004.
Farago, Jason. “Who Was the Mysterious Madame X in Sargent’s Portrait?” BBC News, BBC, 24 Feb. 2022.
FURTHER REFERENCES
“1884 – John Singer Sargent, Madame X (Virginie Gautreau).” Fashion History Timeline, 24 Mar. 2017.
IMAGES
John Singer Sargent, Madame X, oil on canvas, 1884.
Amélie’s father, Anatole Avegno. Date of photo unknown.
Amélie’s mother, Virginie Marie Virginie Ternant, later Avegno.
The Ternant Family Plantation in New Orleans.
Amélie and her younger sister Valentine in New Orleans.
Lithograph of New Orleans from 1852.
Lithograph of Paris from 1850.
Pierre Louis Gautreau, Amélie’s husband.
John Singer Sargent, circa 1903.
John Singer Sargent, Dr. Pozzi at Home, oil on canvas, 1881.
Pozzi was a famous gynecologist and one of Amélie’s lovers.
John Singer Sargent, Watercolour figure study of Madame Gautreau, watercolor on paper, 1883.
John Singer Sargent, Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast, oil sketch on canvas, 1883.
Unidentified photographer. Photograph of Madame X as exhibited at the 1884 Salon.
John Singer Sargent in his studio with Portrait of Madame X, c. 1885, after he had repainted the strap.
Albert Robida (French, 1848-1926). "Le Salon Comique," Caricature, no. 229 (May 17, 1884). One of many caricatures of Amélie published.
Gustave Courtois, Madame Gautreau, oil on canvas, 1891.
Julianne Moore dressed as Madame X for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.
Charlize Theron wearing a similar dress as in Madame X to the Oscars in 2014.
