In John Singer Sargent’s portrait Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1892), the dark-haired Lady Agnew sits on a chair upholstered in an ivory silk floral; a blue floral silk hangs behind her. Wearing a dress of white chiffon, a lavender sash tied tight around her waist, she seems to live in a world of silk, like a pearl in an oyster. Sargent gave special attention to the pose of his sitters and to the “fabric” of their lives, which he painted in broad, sensuous strokes, imbuing the cloth with light and life. This exhibition in Boston explores the artist’s relationship with his affluent clients and their attire. It includes 50 paintings and a dozen period garments and accessories. —Elena Clavarino