Bite-size Talk | Singer Sargent and the Broadway Colony

Saturday 25 April 2026, 11am – 12noon.

In this talk, given in the context of the exhibition of Worcester’s collection of Sargent’s drawings, art historian Justin Reay explores the artist’s approach to his subjects, his use of light and colour, his unusual composition, and his significance as a painter who engages us with the person or the scene depicted.

£10 for the talk. Book online or call the Ticketsource box office for tickets 0333 666 3366.  If you’d like to visit the exhibition John Singer Sargent: an American in Worcestershire too, advance booking is available online.

Saturday 23 May 2026, 11am – 12noon.

In his second talk, art historian Justin Reay discusses Sargent’s approach to painting Virginie Gautreau, including how the sexuality of the artist played a role in this portrait; he describes the public response to the painting now known as ‘Madame X’ and the reasons for the scandal which ensued, and discusses how the painting arose from the self-identity of the sitter which resonates today with modern society’s fascination with how we recreate ourselves as we wish to be seen.

£10 for the talk. Book online or call the Ticketsource box office for tickets 0333 666 3366.  If you’d like to visit the exhibition John Singer Sargent: an American in Worcestershire too, advance booking is available online.