Madame X: A painting made in 1883-1884 by John Singer Sargent of Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, an American socialite, that defied all rulings for what a woman in art should be. These rulings included politeness, obedience, domesticity, and submissiveness. The Madame X painting conquered these stereotypes with a certain feminine beauty that the world was not used to. They were familiar with long skirts and dresses, knitting by the fire, settling down, getting married, and having children. Madame X showed beauty by not even acknowledging the viewer. Her head is turned; she is not even remotely interested in you, and that is what makes the painting beautiful. She is unapologetically herself and will stay that way, molded into art forever.
Gautreau was born in New Orleans but raised in Paris. The painting Madame X was viewed as an abash for the off-shoulder strap, but even after the shaming Gautreau went through, the Madame X model was still painted by other artists. One of these artists, Gustave Claude Etienne Courtois, painted the less renowned Portrait of Madame Gautreau. This painting was after the Madame X portrait and also showed Gautreau wearing a dress with a strap hanging off her shoulder. Despite the claims that the hanging strap and the low-cut dress were the reasons Madame X was received poorly by the public, I believe it’s the way she appears to be in her own world. She doesn’t care about the man or society’s beliefs; she wonders freely and without restriction. Madame X is her own woman; she is not made whole by any man, or any children society believes she should have. Although the painting titled Madame X is what caused Gautreau to withdraw from society and the artist to flee Paris, she was still the subject of other “exotic” portraits.
The original painting exhibited many things that society considered “wrong” and things that went against what the world believed a woman should be. You could argue that Virginie Amelie Avengo Gautreau’s life was ruined by this painting, and while, yes, she did get socially exiled and the painting was verbally attacked, Gautreau’s reputation was not ruined by the painting but by the norms and what seemed to be “The Women in Art Rule” – that all paintings of women need to be simple and show women portraying only one weak characteristic.
Gautreau’s life was instead ruined by the expectations bestowed upon her to show simplicity, and while it is now 2024, many women can relate to this same thing. Women are expected to show refined emotions with no discomfort and no hatred toward the stereotypes bestowed upon us. We are complex with great thoughts and wonders and should be able to express ourselves safely. Madame X is evidence of women trying to express themselves and being shamed for it. If it is socially acceptable for men to convey their emotions through violence and hatred, then women should be able to express themselves through whatever they see fit, whether that be within morals or clothing.
Unfortunately, one can easily draw parallels between the struggles Gautreau endured and modern-day dress coding. I find it problematic that ETHS continues to foster such norms– for example, in the swim unit, boys are allowed to wear speedos and have many more options, while girls must wear a one-piece. If you ask me, a speedo reveals much more skin than a two-piece. So why are rules such as these still in place? The claim that “two-pieces are more distracting” is just absurd – that’s your personal problem if you’re distracted by teenage girls wearing two-pieces, not mine. This is just one example of many proving that we have gone forward and backward in so many ways.
Although Madame X shows that although we are more accepted today than in the past, misogyny has always been present in this world. If we continue to fight and protest these prejudiced laws on our bodies, maybe we can achieve our goal of women finally being equal. Despite dress codes and expectations, women have been defying barriers since the beginning of time. Women are stronger than the world believes and Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau shows just this through Madame X.
