Charles Alexander Giron 1884

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's 1884 portrait of Charles Alexander Giron, oil on canvas. There’s a real directness in the gaze that I find quite striking. What stands out to you? Curator: Considering its creation during a period of immense industrial and social transformation, it’s fascinating to see the representation of class and labour here. Notice the quality of Giron's clothing; the cut of his jacket and the way it drapes. How do you think the material realities of clothing production at that time are being alluded to or perhaps obscured? Editor: I hadn't really considered that, but now I notice the detail given to the suit compared to the background, drawing your eye to it, and implying wealth and status through the materiality of it. Curator: Precisely. It speaks volumes about Sargent's engagement – or perhaps, disengagement – with the social questions that other Realist painters grappled with more explicitly. What kind of labour do you think goes into creating that perfect upper-class appearance? And what labour is being made invisible? Editor: I guess we’re meant to appreciate the elegance of the finished product and not think about the labor of the tailors and textile workers who made it possible, nor the labor that earned him the money to buy it in the first place. It’s definitely a crafted image hiding a larger truth about labor. Curator: Indeed. And even Sargent's labor, his artistry in applying paint to canvas, transforms into something of a luxury item itself in the art market, further blurring lines of production and consumption. A thought provoking depiction. Editor: Absolutely, I see that tension between artistry, subject, and socioeconomic context more clearly now. Thanks!