John Singer Sargent’s Portraits of American Heiresses - Wendy Monkhouse

A Friends of Kenwood Sunday Lecture From 16 May – 5 October 2025, the first exhibition at Kenwood in over 25 years gathered together, for the first time, eighteen magnificent portraits by John Singer Sargent on the centenary of his death. Some of these portraits had never before been on public display, and all depict the women behind the transatlantic marriage phenomenon which started around 1870 and continued into the 20th Century. At a time of great social change in America and in Europe, these wealthy American heiresses contributed in different ways to politics, the arts and society. Many of them remained close to their American families and travelled back frequently, but they forged lasting friendships in England, and were brave enough to live full lives in their adopted country The most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic, John Singer Sargent excelled at depicting wealth and luxury. He effortlessly evoked works by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Romney and portrayed his subjects as aristocratic, while maintaining his signature mastery of light and texture. This lecture describes what it takes to mount an exhibition such as this, from its inception to its delivery, detailing some of the stops along the way. Wendy Monkhouse is Senior Curator for the South at English Heritage. She manages a team of nine curators and collections managers, and has curatorial oversight for 140 sites. Her background spans working with archaeology, fine and decorative arts, at the V&A, the National Trust, the Museum of London and other institutions. Produced by The Friends of Kenwood www.friendsofkenwood.org.uk ‪@friendsofkenwood7574‬