What made Sargent’s ‘swagger’ portraits remarkable was his power over his sitters, what they wore and how they were presented to the audience. Through interviews with curators, contemporary fashionistas and style influencers, Exhibition on Screen’s film will examine how Sargent’s unique practice has influenced modern art, culture and fashion. Sargent’s sitters were often wealthy, their clothes costly, but what happens when you turn yourself over to the hands of a great artist? The manufacture of public identity is as controversial and contested today as it was at the turn of the 20th century, but somehow Sargent’s work transcends the social noise and captures an alluring truth with each brush stroke.

 

Filmed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Tate Britain, London, the exhibition reveals Sargent’s power to express distinctive personalities, power dynamics and gender identities during this fascinating period of cultural reinvention. Alongside 50 paintings by Sargent sit stunning items of clothing and accessories worn by his subjects, drawing the audience into the artist’s studio.

 

Explore the unique creative process of the late 19th century’s favorite portrait artist and the way in which his portraits captured the spirit of a vibrant and rapidly changing age. Tickets: $15 for adults, $13 for LT members, and $5 for youth 18 and under are available in advance through the Lincoln Theater box office at www.LincolnTheater.net or at the door beginning 30 minutes before showtime. Lincoln Theater is located at 2 Theater St. in the heart of downtown Damariscotta.