Heiress: Sargent's American Portraits

Experience the power and glamour of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in Kenwood’s new exhibition, Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.

The exhibition will reveal the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an exchange of money for titles. These women include a wartime nurse, a helicopter pilot and the first sitting female MP.

Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was ‘the artist’ to depict these intriguing women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition will be a salute to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits will also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits is curated by English Heritage with the charity drawing upon the expertise of Richard Ormond CBE. The renowned Sargent scholar and the artist’s great-nephew is the exhibition’s consultant.