Ellen Tracy as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent (1889) To get her portrait painted by Sargent, Ellen Tracy (an 1880’s-era actress famous for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth) would get dressed in this get-up at her house and travel by carriage, in that get-up, to Sargent’s house. Oscar Wilde, who adored her as an actress, wrote two sonnets for her, saw her go by once in her Lady M dress on her way to Sargent’s and wrote: The street that on a wet and dreary morning has vouchsafed the vision of Lady Macbeth in full regalia magnificently seated in a four-wheeler can never again be as other streets: it must always be full of wonderful possibilities. Sargent went back and forth about how he wanted to portray her, and finally decided to isolate her – have her body cut out the background entirely. His portrait is the 19th century equivalent of being photographed by Herb Ritts or Annie Liebowitz. This is a star-making portrait, and caused a huge controversy by Victorian art critics who found it distasteful. The Saturday Review called it ‘the best hated picture of the year’. To my eye, looking at it over the span of a century-plus – I think it captures some of what Ellen Terry was going for in her interpretation of that part, and how vibrantly she succeeded. Yes, the pose is exquisite, and the colors just play up the disturbing quality of it all, but for me, it’s the look that Sargent was able to capture in her eyes. (via)

Ellen Tracy as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent (1889)

To get her portrait painted by Sargent, Ellen Tracy (an 1880’s-era actress famous for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth) would get dressed in this get-up at her house and travel by carriage, in that get-up, to Sargent’s house. Oscar Wilde, who adored her as an actress, wrote two sonnets for her, saw her go by once in her Lady M dress on her way to Sargent’s and wrote:

The street that on a wet and dreary morning has vouchsafed the vision of Lady Macbeth in full regalia magnificently seated in a four-wheeler can never again be as other streets: it must always be full of wonderful possibilities.

Sargent went back and forth about how he wanted to portray her, and finally decided to isolate her – have her body cut out the background entirely.

His portrait is the 19th century equivalent of being photographed by Herb Ritts or Annie Liebowitz. This is a star-making portrait, and caused a huge controversy by Victorian art critics who found it distasteful. The Saturday Review called it ‘the best hated picture of the year’.

To my eye, looking at it over the span of a century-plus – I think it captures some of what Ellen Terry was going for in her interpretation of that part, and how vibrantly she succeeded. Yes, the pose is exquisite, and the colors just play up the disturbing quality of it all, but for me, it’s the look that Sargent was able to capture in her eyes. (via)