Watch Nicole Kidman as John Singer Sargent’s Sitters
YICCA
In June 1999, Nicole Kidman was featured on the cover of Vogue. She was photographed and posed in a number of John Singer Sargent re-imaginings by the Vogue’s photographer, Steven Meisel. Some of the photos are clear homages, while others are a little more imaginative. All are absolutely beautiful, and I encourage you to look into them. I’m posting a couple right here for your enjoyment. You will find all the classics, including the famous Madame X.
Steven Meisel’s photographs pay homage to Sargent in more than one way. The photographs seem to capture some of Nicole Kidman’s personality as well. To quote the cover heading, she appears both “fearless and fabulous.” This is what Sargent was famous of too – capturing conscious realism and his attention to not only detail, but the characters of his sitters. Furthermore, Meisel’s creative reinterpretations of Sargent’s iconic works provide a fascinating contemporary perspective on the timeless allure of these classic portraits.
Beautiful!
Madame X
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Madame X, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA. Detail.
Mrs Carl Meyer and Her Children
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Mrs Carl Meyer and Her Children, 1896, Tate Britain, London, UK. Detail.
Lady Agnew
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892, The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Mrs John Chapman
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Mrs John Chapman, 1893, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, USA.
Mrs George Swinton
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Mrs George Swinton, 1897, Art Institute Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Detail.
Mrs Charles E. Inches
Left: Steven Meisel, Nicole Kidman for June 1999 Vogue issue. Twitter; Right: John Singer Sargent, Mrs Charles E. Inches, 1887, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA.