How John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X' Turned Paris High Society Upside Down Madame X (1884), John Singer Sargent's famed painting of a woman in a stunning black dress, is today considered an iconic work of American art, even though its origins actually lie in Madame X (1884), John Singer Sargent's famed painting of a woman in a stunning black dress, is today considered an iconic work of American art, even though its origins actually lie in John Singer Sargent's 1884 portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau, famously known as Madam X, truly earns its iconic status. As an artist, what strikes me most is its sheer graphic power. Even Why John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting, Madame X, scandalized Paris