Paintings
Mrs. William Playfair
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Sargent's masterful evocation of surfaces and textures-here, of Mrs. William Playfair's bejeweled gown, feathered fan, fur-trimmed opera jacket, and dragonfly hair ornament-explains why he became one of the most sought-after portrait painters in turn-of-the-century America and Europe. Although her costume and jewels indicate a formal evening affair, Playfair appears almost disarmingly relaxed, with her mouth partly open as though about to speak. In Sargent's finest portraits, his subjects carry their wealth and social status with an easy charm and grace.
Sargent exhibited this portrait of Playfair, who was the wife of a prominent British obstetrician, at the Royal Academy in London in 1887 and at the Paris Salon the following year. Critical response was overwhelmingly favorable: one writer called it "the finest piece of painting in the Academy," while another opined that it was "the best of Mr. Sargent's portraits."
Sargent exhibited this portrait of Playfair, who was the wife of a prominent British obstetrician, at the Royal Academy in London in 1887 and at the Paris Salon the following year. Critical response was overwhelmingly favorable: one writer called it "the finest piece of painting in the Academy," while another opined that it was "the best of Mr. Sargent's portraits."
