# Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth)

- By: John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)
- Date: 1897
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 231 × 124 cm (90 3/4 × 48 3/4 in.)
- Culture: London
- Credit line: Wirt D. Walker Collection
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/4749)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/074c1b1b-fe92-01ce-9e62-cc99369142dd/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

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.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0