Madame X Print, John Singer Sargent 1884 Portrait Wall Art, Dark Academia Femme Fatale Poster

Paris was scandalised. Not by the black dress, but by a single slipping strap.

A fine art print of Madame X by John Singer Sargent, portrait wall art for a dark academia dressing room.

ABOUT THE PAINTING
John Singer Sargent painted Madame X in 1883 and 1884. His sitter was Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, a famous beauty of Paris society. She stands in black satin, her skin powdered almost to lavender, her face turned away in perfect profile.

At the Paris Salon of 1884, Sargent showed her with one jewelled strap slipping from her shoulder. The critics mocked, her family was mortified, and Sargent later painted the strap back in place. Look closely at the gold straps on the finished portrait. He kept the painting for more than thirty years and sold it in 1916 with a quiet verdict: the best thing he had done. The original hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

THE LOOK
Black satin, pearl white skin and warm brown shadows. Cool, elegant and daring even now. Portrait wall art for a dressing room, a dark academia study or an old money hallway. Printed on a black border, so her full figure stays whole at every size.

GIFTING
A glamorous gift for a birthday, an anniversary or a new home. A portrait that changed a career.

MORE
More John Singer Sargent in our Portrait Paintings collection: The Earl of Dalhousie and Man Wearing Laurels. For another dark beauty, see The Mask by Bruno Croatto.

THE PRINT
A fine art reproduction of the original painting on 240gsm matte paper. Rich colour, no glare.

Sizes: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1, plus 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches. Custom sizes on request. Frames: black, white or oak, or unframed.

Printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees.

Please note: each print is reproduced from a museum photograph of the original painting. Larger sizes show the canvas weave, brushwork and age cracks up close, details not visible in these photos or smaller prints. Like the painting itself, it is best viewed from a short distance.

REAL ART, NOT AI
Every print in our shop starts with a real painting from a museum collection or public archive. We research each work and prepare the file for print. We never sell AI-generated art.

PRINT QUALITY
240gsm matte paper. Archival, fade-resistant inks. Sharp detail and deep colour.

SIZES
A5: 148 x 210 mm (5.8 x 8.3 in)
A4: 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 in)
A3: 297 x 420 mm (11.7 x 16.5 in)
A2: 420 x 594 mm (16.5 x 23.4 in)
A1: 594 x 841 mm (23.4 x 33.1 in)
12 x 16 in (30 x 40 cm)
18 x 24 in (45 x 60 cm)
24 x 36 in (60 x 90 cm)
Need a size to fit an existing frame? Message us for a custom print.

FRAMING
Unframed, or framed and ready to hang. Frames in black, white and oak.

DELIVERY
Unframed prints ship rolled in a postal tube. Framed prints ship flat and protected. Every order ships tracked to the UK, US, EU, Canada, Australia and worldwide.

QUESTIONS
Message us about sizing, framing or custom orders. We reply within a few hours.