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Touch of Blossom:

John Singer Sargent and the Queer Flora of Fin-de-Siècle Art
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Explores the art of John Singer Sargent in the context of nineteenth-century botany, gynecology, literature, and visual culture. Argues that the artist was elaborating both a period poetics of homosexuality and a new sense of subjectivity, anticipating certain aspects of artistic modernism.


Contents

Acknowledgments

List of Illustrations

Introduction: The Birds and the Bees

1 La Vie en Rose

2 Lascivious Digitation, or The Importance of Manual Stimulation to the Invert Artist

3 Dr. Octogynecologist

4 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ladybird

5 The Sting

Conclusion: Leaf Taking

Notes

Bibliography

Index


“A Touch of Blossom’s contention that Sargent openly pursued an ‘invert’ agenda in his portraits may seem radical to some readers. However, any skepticism, if such exists, soon evaporates in the face of Alison Syme’s cogent, finely crafted argument. Written with wit and grace, and filled with vivid stylistic analyses and ingenious verbal and visual puns, this book is as engaging as the brilliant portraits it examines. Its opulent illustrations and sophisticated design complement Penn State Press’s admirable commitment to breaking down the academic barriers between art and science. The result is a brave and original cultural portrait that rivals Sargent’s own in subtlety, depth, and beauty.”

—Laurinda Dixon, Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide

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