The Quiz: Portrait subject Virginie Gautreau is better known by what pseudonym?
Madame X
Venus de Milo
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Primavera
Pictured here is John Singer Sargent’s painting “Madame X.” The work was completed in 1884 and depicts Virginie Avegno Gautreau, the American-born wife of a French banker. Sargent exhibited his work at the Paris Salon and was met with shock and outrage. Viewers were dismayed by the haughty demeanor and provocative dress of “Madame X,” and the scandal nearly ruined Sargent’s career.
The correct answer to this quiz is Madame X.