Madame X (Virginie Amlie Avegno Gautreau), 1883 84 John Singer Sargent, American (1856 1925) Madame Pierre Gautreau (the Louisiana born Virginie Amlie Avegno; 18591915) was known in Paris for her artful appearance. Madame X: The story behind one of the world's most famous paintings 1884 John Singer Sargent, Madame X (Virginie Gautreau) Fashion History Timeline Portrait of a Lady in Black by Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell National Galleries of Scotland 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