Sargent and Fashion at Tate Britain

American portraitist John Singer Sargent made his bread and butter from presenting late 19^th-century dandies and haughty society ladies to the best of his abilities, which included the fabulous clothing they adorned themselves with. His most famous work, Madame X, scandalised Parisian society with its subject in a low black dress, the hourglass suspended with daring precariousness on nothing but strings of jewels, so examining his work through the fashion depicted in it makes sense. 

His most notable works are on display alongside the garments shown in them. The fantastically histrionic Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth (1889) is displayed alongside the “Beetle Wing Dress” she wears in it. The dress crawls with iridescence and its sweeping medieval-style sleeves add drama. A jewel clasp fastens the cape, standing aloft on a giant setting. It’s a lesson in fantasy. 

Elsewhere, an acidic silk damask gown whose colour lies somewhere between lime green and gold catches the eye, as the House of Worth had designed it to in 1895. You can imagine the wearer stealing attention in this as they promenaded through the crowds at the opera or a ball.  

Sargent’s portraits are sumptuous, a record of a lavish type of life: all imperious profiles and poodles decorated with bows. His use of colour and light is enchanting, especially in highlight Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1895-6), which cemented his reputation in London. Two little girls in white dresses light Chinese lanterns at dusk, a moment that he captures movingly. His deftness with light and colour also means that he captures the sheen on rich people’s clothes as well as their faces. 

The exhibition is large, with many works collected from loans. It is interesting to see a photo of his studio on Tite Street from circa 1922 and images of the man himself alongside the work he produced. If you like clothes, it’s well worth seeing.