Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre)

1882

In this depiction of Louise Escudier, Sargent undercut traditional portrait conventions by prioritizing the dramatic effects of light and dark in a Parisian apartment. It's based on a series of atmospheric views of working-class women in darkened interiors that the artist produced on two trips to Venice between 1880 and 1882. These compositions helped to establish Sargent’s reputation in Paris as a daring and original painter.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)

Date

1882

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

129.5 × 91.4 cm (51 × 36 in.)

Origin

United States

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Bequest of Brooks McCormick