Emily Sargent’s Introspective Paintings at The Met

The curators’ well-crafted text and image combinations present Emily’s life as a cosmopolitan one with a key theme amongst her paintings being her travels across Europe and the Mediterranean. Born in Florence, Italy to American parents, Emily grew up surrounded by the great collections and monuments of Europe. She, along with her siblings, was encouraged to nurture her artistic talent throughout her childhood, something she would continue to do as she grew and travelled widely from London to Cairo and countless places between. In total, Emily would produce over 400 paintings during her lifetime. 

It is clearly apparent that Emily possessed a keen sensitivity for the feelings and moods of her subjects. As she moved from place to place, one can see how different landscapes and cultural settings brought about changes in the style and general mood of her paintings. The breezy and ephemeral impression of the Brittany coast contrasts starkly with the blockier and bolder colors of the Tuscan countryside. Paintings by her brother, John, round out the family story, displaying additional views of the landscapes and faces that would have filled Emily’s life.

Perhaps most delightful is the section of the exhibition titled “Painting Together,” wherein Emily and John’s particular relationship as close artistic companions is demonstrated through matching paintings. Often painting different views of the same landscape or, more rarely, the exact same subjects, the siblings spent a substantial amount of time travelling and creating in tandem. 

The Brook, Purtud (1906-1908) is also at least one example of what curators believe to be a collaborative painting, the style and composition pointing towards both siblings' hands being present on the canvas. In all the other examples of paired paintings within this section, it is clear that Emily was not lacking in artistic talent whatsoever, matching (if not in some cases outdoing) her brother’s companion pieces in both aesthetic quality and composition. 

Herein lies the one major critique this reviewer would make. 

While the exhibit purports to reveal the struggles women artists faced in the late nineteenth century, this thread is relatively lost amidst the exploration of the Sargent family and Emily’s space within it as daughter, sister, and artist. It goes without saying that her brother, John, experienced far more commercial success and notoriety than Emily. However, the social or even personal mechanisms as to why this was the case, and how it was this way for other women artists of the time, is never directly addressed. 

Was Emily denied further artistic training, or did she not desire it? Did she lack personal ambition to pursue art as a career, or was she told it was not possible for her to do so? This reviewer does recognize that these questions may have been impossible to answer in the absence of records such as diaries or journals– though it is noted that amongst all the personal letters and documents quoted within the exhibit, none are written by Emily herself. 

However, documentation of women artists during this time period and recent scholarly treatment of them is sufficient enough to have incorporated a few sentences here and there about why in particular gender, and even perhaps contemporary family dynamics, played a larger role in artists like Emily being relegated to the shadows of their male counterparts. 

Beyond this, Emily Sargent: Portrait of a Family provides a wonderful view of Emily Sargent as a talented and thoughtful artist, bringing into the light works very much worth seeing and admiring.

Emily Sargent: Portrait of a Family is on view in the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through March 8, 2026 and is free with standard admission.