Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) (1897): Artwork and History

Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) (1897) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925).

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

John Singer Sargent’s portrayal of musician Elizabeth “Elsie” Swinton epitomizes the painterly virtuosity that made the artist one of the most fashionable portraitists in late 19th-century Europe and America. Extravagant color and brushwork were central to Sargent’s success, as was his ability to present a refined and appealing likeness. Here, he accentuated the sitter’s regal bearing and elaborate dress. At the time, Swinton was a celebrated amateur singer, and the following decade she began performing professionally. Sargent harmonized the realism of her face and body with bursts of impressionistic brushstrokes describing the shimmering, translucent fabric descending from her shoulder.

Object facts

• Title: Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth)
• Date: 1897
• Artist attribution: John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)
• Place of origin: London
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 231 × 124 cm (90 3/4 × 48 3/4 in.)
• Type: Painting
• Department: Arts of the Americas
• Reference number: 1922.4450

Collection credit

Wirt D. Walker Collection

View the original

Explore the artwork in the Art Institute's collection, including its image and the museum's current catalogue details.

The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.