Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau)

John Singer Sargent  (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)

Virginie Avegno (1859–1915) was born in Louisiana, the daughter of Major Anatole Avegno of New Orleans, a gentleman whose family had emigrated from Camogli, Italy, and Marie Virginie de Ternant of Parlange Plantation, Louisiana. After Major Avegno died of wounds suffered at the Battle of Shiloh, Mrs. Avegno took her daughters to Paris. There Virginie became a celebrated beauty and married Pierre Gautreau, a Parisian banker. Sargent probably met her in 1881. In 1882, he wrote of wanting to paint her portrait. He worked on the portrait at the Gautreau’s summer home in Brittany in 1883, but he had difficulty finding a suitable pose and perspective. Numerous studies show his different attempts at the composition. The portrait as finally executed was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1884 as “Portrait de Mme ***” and created a scandal. Sargent considered it one of his best works; an unfinished second version of the same pose is in the Tate Gallery in London.

You can read an excellent book on the scandal and it’s aftermath – “Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X” by Deborah Davis.

More can be found on our Facebook page.

This was a huge undertaking with the center painting a colossal 72 x 120″ and 300lbs! This was a three day project and the works consisted of original paintings and 22kt hand carved frames from the 18th to 20th centuries. We are very proud to have been a part of this historic project.

www.metmuseum.org

Click on this image for a quick visual lesson in the History of Picture Frames.

Six major types of glass commonly used in custom framing are:

Clear: Regular float glass

UV-Filtering: Filters up to 97% of UV rays between 300 and 380
nanometers by means of a coating or laminate. Ultraviolet light is
one of the most harmful forms of light sources and causes fading
and deterioration of artwork.

Non-Glare: Etched on one or both sides to reduce glare. Light hitting the surface is scattered so it does not reflect and distract the
viewer.

Anti-Reflective: Coated or non-coated surface reduces reflections
by absorbing them. Also increases transmission of light.

Low Iron: A float glass with less iron than regular glass, and therefore provides a more neutral color and higher light transmission.

Laminated: This 4mm-thick safety glass has a thin UV-filtering
resin membrane laminated between two 2mm-thick pieces of
glass. It is most extensively used in art galleries and museums to
protect artwork from vandalism.
Manufacturers have also combined these properties, (UV-filtering + anti-reflective, for example), to offer increased options.

Artwork of the Day.

 http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/artwork-of-the-day?rss=1).

How high to hang a piece of art?

There are many variables, including ceiling height or if the art will hang over a piece of furniture, sofa or credenza? Is there a chair rail or seating group?

Sixty to Sixty Two inches from the floor to the middle of the piece of artwork is a good height, but always take the entire space into consideration. Visual height is just as important. The idea is to make the art fit seemlessly into the design of the room.

Eco Friendly Mouldings are harvested from sustainable forests and do not use petroleum products in their production.

Many manufactures have embraced this new trend with stylish new profiles.