I tried positioning my arm like the model here. There was no way I could do it, so I started to think about why Sargent chose to paint it that way. As I see it, Madame Gautreau's arm adds to the erotic hint of her portrait. Looking at the shape and pose of her arm now, I can imagine a viewer just watching and waiting for her shoulder strap to slide right down. And Kudos to the Madame X for cocking a snook at the Establishment by commissioning her own portrait the way she saw herself.
I tried positioning my arm like the model here. There was no way I could do it, so I started to think about why Sargent chose to paint it that way. As I see it, Madame Gautreau's arm adds to the erotic hint of her portrait. Looking at the shape and pose of her arm now, I can imagine a viewer just watching and waiting for her shoulder strap to slide right down. And Kudos to the Madame X for cocking a snook at the Establishment by commissioning her own portrait the way she saw herself.