John Singer Sargent
American, 1865-1925

A famous beauty and fashion leader, Sophie Ilarinovna (1871-1953) married Russian diplomat Prince Demidoff in 1893. John Singer Sargent painted her portrait in London a few years later, where her husband worked for the Russian Embassy. Sargent highlights her stylishness by posing her before a fashionable Chinese lacquer screen (a prop from Sargent’s studio) and dramatically contrasting her white silk dress with her flame-colored short cape.

Born in Florence to American parents, Sargent established himself in London as the leading society portraitist of his day. His elegant and glamorous paintings of the rich and famous of late-19th-century England and America are characterized by free handling of paint (broad, loose brushstrokes are visible throughout this portrait) and sensitivity to the individuality of each of his subjects.

Oil on canvas, 1895-96
Gift of Florence Scott Libbey, 1925.109