Yes, unless you are as popular and have the same kind of social standing as J.S. Sargent, making the same career moves he made could be fatal.
Regarding Sargent's refusal to change his paintings at the request of his clients:
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His refusal more than once led to scenes. On one occasion the lady who had taken exception to the rendering of her mouth became hysterical and fainted. Sargent was the last man in the world to cope with such a situation. A friend who happened to call found him helplessly contemplating the scene. The model was restored to sense, but the mouth remained as it was.
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Not exactly the same as idealizing proportions, but I am sure to some degree Sargent made many concessions in his work at the whims of the fashionable of his day. And he did modify proportions at times to suit his artistic vision.
On other occasions Sargent would start over after many sittings.
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He did the same with the portrait of Mrs. Wedgwood, and many others. Miss Eliza Wedgewood relates that in 1806 he consented, at the insistence of Alfred Parsons, to paint her mother. She sat for him twelve times, but after the twelfth sitting he said they would both be the better for a rest. He then wrote to Miss Wedgwood that he was humiliated by his failure to catch the variable and fleeting charm of her mother's personality - that looked like the end of the portrait. Some weeks later he saw Mrs. Wedgwood at Broadway, and struck with a new aspect he said:
'If you will come up next week we will finish that portrait."
She came to Tite Street. a new canvas was produced, and in six sittings he completed the picture which was shown at the Memorial Exhibition.
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This early failure may have been because the woman painted to capture just her likeness was not a pretty sight. (Remember the Lucian Freud painting of the queen?)
Can you imagine? Assuming each sitting was a few hours, that woman sat for over 20 hours and then was told he is starting over. And we claim we must take photos because clients won't sit for two sittings, never mind make them sit for twelve just to start over and have to sit for six more. Can you imagine how that would affect your career?
I think Sharon's work can speak for itself and it shows she does not paint generic portraits.
We all try to portray the person at their best and sometimes as they envision themselves or to portray a position of power. So using heroic proportions or hiding the fact that they have put on a few pounds is only to produce a better, more pleasing image. What's wrong with that?