Madame X

The portrait of Madame X is intriguing in that it calls to question the intentions of the John Singer Sargent, who painted this, and of Madame X at the time that it was painted. It also calls into question the differences in the cultures and societies in France and in America at the time. In France, the reaction to this painting was outrage because of the amount of skin that Madame X is showing. This would usually be acceptable if she had been a prostitute, but being that she was of high society, this was not acceptable in the French society. This makes me wonder, if this painting had been first shown in the United States of America, would the reaction still have been outrage? Would Americans at that time think that this was too much skin for a lady other than a prostitute to be showing, much less be painted and hung in a Salon for the public to see? 

This painting has not been forgotten over the years. It has been the inspiration for many things since the time it was painted. A French playwright, Alexandre Bisson in 1908 produced a play influenced and named after this famous and moving painting named, "La Femme X" or Madame X. This has also been reproduced several times throughout many years and adapted for the screen. Also, there is an American rock band who's name was Madame X that was active during the 1980s.