Recently Opened: Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits

May 21 2025

Image of Recently Opened: Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits

Picture: English Heritage

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Kenwood House, run by English Heritage, have just opened a new exhibition entitled Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.

According to their website:

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits will reveal the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an exchange of money for titles. These women include a war-time nurse and the first sitting female MP.

Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was ‘the artist’ to depict these intriguing women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition will be a salute to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits will also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.

The show will run until 5th October 2025.

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