Portrait of Madame X | John Singer Sargent | 1884 Alfred Guillou Otto Dix's Portrait of the

Otto Dix's Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden (1926) epitomizes the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement

The artist's use of flat planes and simplified forms imbues the scene with a sense of energy and vitality

and the universal fear of disease and death

More than a still life

What makes this painting particularly unsettling is the transformation of myth into visceral reality

Portrait of Madame X | John Singer Sargent | 1884 Alfred Guillou Otto Dix's Portrait of theAbout the artwork: John Singer Sargents Portrait of Madame X (1884) is one of the most provocative works of late 19th century portraiture, both for its striking aesthetic and the scandal it caused at the Paris Salon. Depicting Virginie Amlie Avegno Gautreau, a wealthy American expatriate known for her beauty and flamboyance, Sargent presents her in a sleek black gown with daringly thin straps, her pale skin glowing against the dark background. The