Floor plan

Time and placeThe 19th century

The 19th century

Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau), by John Singer Sargent, 1883–84
From a high perspective, we look beyond two overlapping, emerald-green hills to a body of powder-blue water dotted with sailboats in this loosely painted horizontal landscape. Closest to us, the hills create a shallow V that spans the lower third of the composition, with the right-hand hill rising to more than halfway up the right edge. The hills are painted with dashes and long strokes mostly in seafoam, shamrock, and celery green, with some swipes of peach, goldenrod yellow, and royal blue. On the hill to our left, one woman sits and the other stands next to her. They wear hats, long-sleeved, fitted jackets, and long skirts in tones of dusky pink and dove gray. A touch of peach on the seated woman, to our left, gives the impression of a pale face. A red veil or scarf at the back of the other woman’s hat is lifted, as if in the wind. The water is painted with blended strokes of pale blue, light turquoise, smoky mauve pink, and touches of soft peach. The horizon comes two-thirds of the way up the composition, and the sky is painted with the same tones of blue, green, and peach to suggest a screen of clouds. Triangles and dashes of slate blue suggest about three dozen sailboats, rowboats, and one steamship in the rippling water. Squiggles of teal and sage green create reflections for some of the boats. The brushstrokes are visible throughout. In some areas, the paint is so thinly applied that the texture of the canvas shows through, especially in the sky. The artist signed the work in the lower left corner: “Claude Monet 82.”
The image displays a man in a portrait from the waist up, in a three-quarter view. He is facing slightly to the right and looking into the distance with a calm expression. The man has fair skin, light reddish-brown hair, sideburns, a defined nose, and a slightly upturned chin. He is wearing a black double-breasted coat with a high collar, a dark waistcoat, a white shirt, and a medal on his chest with an insignia and ribbon. The background is plain and deep brown.
Four women with musical instruments lounge in a massive garden courtyard.
Painting of a stately woman seated on a red velvet chair in a blood-red room, a blue-white fireplace to her left. She glances down at the floor with a serene expression toward a tiny blond child—a baby—who sits on the floor tearing up paper, her pink-clad back facing the viewer.
Woman Meditating, by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, after 1868

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the 19th century, anywhere in the world.

Section 1, north wall

  1. Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau), by John Singer Sargent, 1883–84
    Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau)John Singer Sargent, 1883–84Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. From a high perspective, we look beyond two overlapping, emerald-green hills to a body of powder-blue water dotted with sailboats in this loosely painted horizontal landscape. Closest to us, the hills create a shallow V that spans the lower third of the composition, with the right-hand hill rising to more than halfway up the right edge. The hills are painted with dashes and long strokes mostly in seafoam, shamrock, and celery green, with some swipes of peach, goldenrod yellow, and royal blue. On the hill to our left, one woman sits and the other stands next to her. They wear hats, long-sleeved, fitted jackets, and long skirts in tones of dusky pink and dove gray. A touch of peach on the seated woman, to our left, gives the impression of a pale face. A red veil or scarf at the back of the other woman’s hat is lifted, as if in the wind. The water is painted with blended strokes of pale blue, light turquoise, smoky mauve pink, and touches of soft peach. The horizon comes two-thirds of the way up the composition, and the sky is painted with the same tones of blue, green, and peach to suggest a screen of clouds. Triangles and dashes of slate blue suggest about three dozen sailboats, rowboats, and one steamship in the rippling water. Squiggles of teal and sage green create reflections for some of the boats. The brushstrokes are visible throughout. In some areas, the paint is so thinly applied that the texture of the canvas shows through, especially in the sky. The artist signed the work in the lower left corner: “Claude Monet 82.”
    Cliffs at PourvilleClaude Monet, 1882Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image displays a man in a portrait from the waist up, in a three-quarter view. He is facing slightly to the right and looking into the distance with a calm expression. The man has fair skin, light reddish-brown hair, sideburns, a defined nose, and a slightly upturned chin. He is wearing a black double-breasted coat with a high collar, a dark waistcoat, a white shirt, and a medal on his chest with an insignia and ribbon. The background is plain and deep brown.
    Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of HertfordThomas Lawrence, c. 1822/1823Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 1, south wall

  1. Four women with musical instruments lounge in a massive garden courtyard.
    The Interior of the Palm House on the Pfaueninsel Near PotsdamCarl Blechen, 1834Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Painting of a stately woman seated on a red velvet chair in a blood-red room, a blue-white fireplace to her left. She glances down at the floor with a serene expression toward a tiny blond child—a baby—who sits on the floor tearing up paper, her pink-clad back facing the viewer.
    The Red Room, EtretatFélix Vallotton, 1899Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. Woman Meditating, by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, after 1868
    Woman MeditatingJean Baptiste Camille Corot, after 1868Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, south wall

  1. This is a drawing of a group of mythological figures in a ceremonial scene. The composition features multiple figures in various poses, centered around a symbolic gathering. The drawing is detailed, providing a classical representation of human forms, draped fabrics, and an animal. A plateau with trees is subtly depicted in the background. The figures display expressions ranging from serene to contemplative.
    The Nursing of JupiterThéodore ChassériauCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, by John Vanderlyn, 1818–19
    Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of VersaillesJohn Vanderlyn, 1818–19Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. A work made of album leaves; ink and color on paper.
    Album of Landscapes and Calligraphy for Liu SongfuXugu, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1895/96Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. STUDY OF FOLIAGE
    Study of foliageWilliam Trost Richards, October 25, 1862Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Section 2, north wall

  1. OTTER CLIFFS
    Otter CliffsArnold William Brunner, 1879–80Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  2. The image features a riverside scene with a large building in the center and smaller structures in the background. The sky is filled with clouds, and there are boats on the water. The artwork is done in an etching style, with detailed lines showing architectural elements, boats, and water ripples. The color scheme is monochromatic in shades of brown and black.
    L'ancien Louvre d'après une peinture de Zeeman, 1651 (The Old Louvre, from a Painting by Zeeman, l651)Charles Meryon, 1866Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Boy with Anchor, by Winslow Homer, 1873
    Boy with AnchorWinslow Homer, 1873Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Three light-skinned, dark-haired ballerinas, painted in muted tones, wear off-the-shoulder yellow leotards and tutus as they huddle near each other. One adjusts her costume, while one holds her hands clasped above her head. At left is a painted screen with four pairs of feet visible underneath.
    Yellow Dancers (In the Wings)Edgar Degas, 1874–76Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, north wall

  1. Artist: Unidentified Artist, Sitter: Abigail Powers Fillmore, Current owner: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
    Abigail Powers FillmoreUnrecorded maker, c. 1840Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
  2. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Alfred SisleyPierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago