THE CITIZEN INDEX

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Madame X


  

The photo above has been sitting in my photo stash for awhile now. Pretty sure I gleaned it from Fashionising.com; The ensemble looks like an old school sunbathing suit, this one is simple, classic,and oddly, vaguely familliar.Couldn't put my finger on it until today. It hit me: Madame X.  Is it my feverish state, or does the pose and the suit remind you a bit of the John Singer-Sargent painting of Madame X?
  
It's not the first time, the painting has inspired imitation. No, I've seen it before, the one most blatant  homage was the Nicole Kidman portrait done for Vanity Fair a few years back. Which, technically gets it right, but doesn't quite capture the allure of the original. What I love about the Singer-Sargent portrait is its fierce study of lines. Arabesques after arabesques of curves: her aquiline profile, the snake-charmer's shoulder slithering over that curt hourglass curve of her waist.  Fashion form at its finest. Those slippery shoulder straps!  And I just love the taut twist of arms that  are mirrored by the mahogany table legs, just as curvacious and ambitious as the sitter. Then there's scandalously alabaster skin contrasting the midnight-soaked dress.

 
The bathing suit picture seems a tamer version of Madame's ambition. Milk-fed skin against debutante black. Subtle, but sexy. Off shoulder and unnervingly tasteful. It is a look that revels in beauty and the detemination to take part in that beauty, by, as a certain Malcolm X once said, "any means neccessary."

12 comments:

feministified said...

I absolutely love your writing style. <3

the Citizen Rosebud said...

thank you Ari! <3

Emily said...

You know, the image is gorgeous, but your writing describing it is sumptuous - you make it sound amazing, without even needing to see the picture!

the Citizen Rosebud said...

hey, thanks Emily! xo.

Frannie said...

You're a really talented writer!!! And its true, they do all look alike. Its really lovely to see how inspiration just keep being passed on and translated in different ways.

the Citizen Rosebud said...

Thank you, my new friend. You've made my day ; )

tobes said...

wow this is one of the most sophisticated blogs i have ever read ^_^ thanks for leaving your blog ad on delance fashion xo speak to you soon tobes

Anonymous said...

Hi!
Thank you so much for helping me with a translater for my blog! :D

Happy Bloggin'

the Citizen Rosebud said...

Thank you Tobes, I really hope you enjoy reading it. I'm going to go check out yours.
And Emma, I am sooo looking forward in reading yours, and not just looking at the gorgeous pictures. xo.

Anne M Bray said...

Thanks for bringing this post to light in your FB art challenge. Love your writing, love John Singer Sargent. One of my most favorite painters. And YOU are one of my favorite bloggers!

Unknown said...

The portrait of Madam X shown on your blog is backward. As an ardent Sargent follower for 30 years, I would like to see it correctly displayed.

citizen rosebud said...

Hi Rick. The portrait is reproduced just as shown.