Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History


    • The Wyndham Sisters: Lady Elcho, Mrs. Adeane, and Mrs. Tennant, 1899
    John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)
    Oil on canvas; 115 x 84 1/8 in. (292.1 x 213.7 cm)
    Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1927 (27.67)

    Three beautiful daughters of the Hon. Percy Wyndham, a wealthy Londoner, appear toward the lower right corner of this monumental canvas. From the left, the sisters are Madeline Adeane (1869–1941), Pamela Tennant (1871–1928), and Mary Constance, Lady Elcho (1862–1937). Rather than conducting sittings at his studio, as he usually did about 1900, Sargent painted the sisters in the drawing room of their family's residence on Belgrave Square. Seen on the dark wall above them is George F. Watts' portrait of their mother, which establishes their genealogy as well as the artist's by reminding the viewer of his ties to painters of the past. Within the bold, asymmetrical composition, Sargent enlisted fluid dynamic brushstrokes to suggest the forms and textures of the opulent white gowns, brocade sofa, and huge white peonies. The elongated figures, so typical of Sargent's style about 1900, enhance the impression of aristocratic elegance. Displayed at the Royal Academy's annual exhibition in 1900, the portrait was hailed by the critics and dubbed "The Three Graces" by the Prince of Wales.

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    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • . "A Bicentennial Treasury: American Masterpieces from the Metropolitan." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 33, no. 4 (Winter, 1975–76).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Laver, James. "Fashion, Art and Beauty." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 26, no. 3 (November, 1967).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Weinberg, H. Barbara, and Stephanie L. Herdrich. "John Singer Sargent: In The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 57, no. 4 (Spring, 2000).
    JSTOR | PDF
    • On view: Gallery 771
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    • The Wyndham Sisters: Lady Elcho, Mrs. Adeane, and Mrs. Tennant, 1899
    John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)
    Oil on canvas; 115 x 84 1/8 in. (292.1 x 213.7 cm)
    Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1927 (27.67)


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