One of Shari’s favorite paintings is Madame X by John Singer Sargent. The reason she likes it so much is that is that when it was painted, it had been a scandal.
Why?
Because it represented a married woman as attractive, sensual and sexual.
When we compared this with Gerard van Honthorst’s “Smiling Girl, a Courtesan, Holding an Obscene Image,” complemented with lines from Emily Dickinson’s poem I Gave Myself to Him, Ruth and I had very joyous conversation. We wanted to share it with you.
Invitation to the Conversation
What does art tell us about scandal?
What is the role of art and artists in challenging our assumptions about scandal, sex, acceptability, the role of women (and any other topic that interest or excites you)?
Discover more from Arting: Art As Conversation
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