Opening on 27 April, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sargent and Paris will delve into the early career of the eminent painter John Singer Sargent (born 1856, Florence; died 1925, London), tracing his journey from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a promising 18-year-old art student to the mid-1880s, when his controversial portrait Madame X became a sensational success at the Paris Salon.

The exhibition will showcase a significant collection of paintings, watercolours, and drawings, along with a curated selection of portraits by Sargent’s contemporaries. This will be the largest international exhibition of Sargent’s work since 1998 and the first-ever monographic exhibition of his art in France. And it will coincide with the upcoming MET Gala.

“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. “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.”

Sargent quickly became known for his ability to create flattering yet provocative portraits that catered to his patrons’ desires for social prestige. Sargent and Paris will explore the artist’s lasting fascination with society and celebrity, which led him to create the iconic Madame X. The exhibition will present a nuanced understanding of the painting at the heart of a scandal that is as infamous now as it was in 1884 along with an appreciation for the originality and brilliance of Sargent’s art, underpinning the more sensational aspects of artistic society in 1880s Paris.

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Images: Installation view of Sargent and Paris, on view April 27–August 3, 2025 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Hyla Skopitz, courtesy of The Met. Installation view of Sargent and Paris, on view April 27–August 3, 2025 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Hyla Skopitz, courtesy of The Met.