Portrait of Miss Clementine Anstruther-Thomson 

John Singer Sargent painted Miss Clementine Anstruther-Thomson in oil paint, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Sargent was known for his portraits of wealthy elites in Europe and America, but here we see something different. The setting is informal, even melancholic, with Miss Anstruther-Thomson standing outside in muted tones of green and brown. Consider the social role of portraiture at this time, particularly within institutions like the Royal Academy. Artists and their patrons often used portraiture to project a certain image of wealth, power, and social standing. But is Sargent doing something different here? Is he challenging the conventions of formal portraiture, in favour of something more modern? Looking at letters and other historical documents from the period could help us understand the relationship between Sargent and his sitter, and the social context in which this portrait was made. What does this image tell us about the changing role of women, and the ways in which artists were beginning to question traditional social norms?