New David McCullough book fleshes out Madame X scandal

When popular society artist John Singer Sargent unveiled his portrait of Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau at the 1884 Paris Salon---scandal ensued.

Author David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, dishes out the scintillating story behind Sargent's most famous painting in his new book, "The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris," a 576-page tome about the artistic, inspiring era between 1830 and 1900.

Of the post-Salon critical reaction to the portrait, McCullough writes, "The reviews were essentially of three kinds, those that objected to Madame Gautreau’s décolletage, those repulsed by the color of her skin, and those that, seeing “modernity” in the approach, applauded Sargent’s courage."

Later, the artist retitled Madame Gautreau's portrait "Madame X" in an effort to salvage the lady's (a wealthy American ex-pat) wounded pride. He then left Paris for England.

The Madame X scandal has been told in detail before by Deborah Davis whose fictionalized account, "Strapless," was published in 2004. MCCullough's fresh take on the saga is just one of many stories he strings together about ambitious Americans who flocked to Paris during the 1800s, from politicians and doctors to writers and a wide range of artists such as Samuel F.B. Morse and Augustus Saint Gaudens.

Read an excerpt of McCullough's Madame X tale from the Daily Beast.