Experience the power and glamour of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in Kenwood's new exhibition; Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits will reveal the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an exchange of money for titles. These women include a war-time nurse, a helicopter pilot and the first sitting female MP.

Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was ‘the artist’ to depict these intriguing women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition will be a salute to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits will also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits is curated by English Heritage with the charity drawing upon the expertise of Richard Ormond CBE. The renowned Sargent scholar and the artist’s great-nephew is the exhibition’s consultant.

Tickets can now be purchased for 16 May – 9 June 2025. Tickets for the rest of the exhibition will be released shortly. Please check our website and social media pages for more details.

Book online and save 15%.

Book tickets: 16 May-9 June

Admission to the house is free, however there is a charge for the exhibiton. Members get free entry.

Group bookings: For groups of 15+ please contact Kenwood.House@english-heritage.org.uk to book. Groups receive 10% off the online exhibition entry price. An afternoon tea package may also be arranged for groups of 30+.

Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits is supported by The Friends of the Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood, the American Friends of English Heritage, the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund and the London Historic Houses Museum Trust, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, Rockefeller Capital Management, Gregory and Melissa Fleming, L.K. Barnes, Mark King, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The Sargent Circle and other generous supporters.