The exhibition “Sargent and Paris” opens at the Met

From April 21 to August 3, 2025, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presents “Sargent and Paris”, an exhibition of works by John Singer Sargent from his transformative decade in Paris

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Image: John Singer Sargent, “Madame X” (detail)

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the artist’s death, “Sargent and Paris” includes approximately 100 works of art, from preparatory sketches to daring masterpieces, culminating in the iconic “Madame X”. The exhibition explores the early career of John Singer Sargent (born 1856, Florence; died 1925, London), from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a talented 18-year-old art student through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait “Madame X” was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon. Featuring a substantial collection of paintings, watercolors, and drawings, the exhibition will also include a select group of portraits by Sargent’s contemporaries. The exhibition is the largest international exhibition of Sargent’s work since 1998 and the first ever monographic exhibition of Sargent’s art in France.

“This magnificent exhibition will shed new light on a transformative period in the life and career of one of America’s most important painters,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “By situating Sargent’s work within the context of the city that formed and inspired him, Sargent and Paris will illuminate this influential artist’s meteoric rise, providing new insights into his unique talent and skill in capturing the vibrant society he inhabited.”

Stephanie L. Herdrich, Alice Pratt Brown Curator of American Painting and Drawings at The Met, said: “Sargent’s career was indelibly shaped by the time he spent in Paris. Over the course of one remarkable decade, he created the boldest and most daring paintings of his oeuvre. Sargent and Paris will showcase these visually stunning and ambitious works, shedding new light on his distinctive artistic vision. We are thrilled to partner with the Musée d’Orsay to reunite this collection of great works in New York and Paris.”