Viewing the human figure…
This research task states that looking at depictions of other people can be ‘amongst other things, sensual, amusing, disconcerting’… It also suggests that we might see ourselves in some of these images through our reactions and emotional responses.
I reflected on what work might I find ‘sensual’. I know that for me, sometimes the suggestion of sexuality or a sensitive communication happening between the artist and subject is something I would find ‘sensual’, moving and powerful.
The particular image that came immediately to mind is ‘Prosperine’ by Daniel Gabriel Rosetti. Wikipedia says that ‘Rossetti painted it at a time when his mental health was extremely precarious and his love for Jane Morris was at its most obsessive’. It was thought that Jane was in an unhappy marriage with Rossetti’s friend William Morris. There is a lot of symbolism in this painting and it clearly has great meaning for both the artist and the sitter. The pomegranate is apparently a reference to the Greek and Roman mythology story of ‘Prosperine’ and forbidden love. Rossetti obviously saw parallels in this story to his own life and his feelings for Jane. Arguably, for me, the pomegranate, shown as it is could be seen as a sexual reference. The painting is beautiful and oozes passion even without knowing the context in which it was painted.
holding a towel to the body,
G. Klimt, 1917
There is also some fabulous nude art which celebrates and shares the beauty of the body in all its shapes and sizes. This Klimt drawing is an example, although not fully nude, the demure model looks alluringly at the viewer, in a token attempt to cover herself, almost teasing, daring….
A couple of years ago I visited a combined exhibition featuring drawings by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. I loved the exhibition and artwork, found it stimulating and fascinating and discovered an artist I knew very little about beforehand (Schiele). However, there were some works of art there which I found to be provocative and somewhat graphically gratuitous. It felt like the intention was to titillate the artist and/or provoke, titillate or shock the viewer. It seemed to lack a story, any sense of deep feelings nor did it identify or show any respect for with the characters portrayed. The characters, even when it was themselves, felt anonymous for me. They left me cold in terms of the explicitness of the context. Nonetheless, the pictures might still have been interesting in terms of the artistic qualities of line, style, composition, colour etc. I just did not find them in any way sensual.
A more contemporary artist, Tracey Emin has also created some drawings which I find ‘uncomfortable’ and unnecessarily gratuitous. Having said that both of these artists have also produced some beautiful art in every sense which shows more subtlety and respect for the subject.
For me, sensual art would have to be beautiful, subtle, emotive, and something the viewer needs to work at to find out more about the story and intent… open to different interpretations.
One of the best known artists to use humour extensively in his artwork is perhaps William Hogarth. He was a satirist who saw humour and irony in the lives of those around him. This example, the ‘Enraged Musician’ is one where the humour increases the more you look at it. Everything and everyone in the picture is making lots of noise and is upsetting the ‘musician’ trying to play his instrument by an open window. It is certainly tells a story, is well observed, beautifully drawn and shows his skills and understanding in aerial and linear perspective, and in characterisation. There is a lot of thought and planning gone into this. The skills of achieving such fine printed artwork nearly 300 years ago is to be admired. He must surely be the grandfather of satirists today.
Tony Matelli is one of several sculpture artists who create lifelike structures and place them in provocative stances, or contexts. This ‘hunter’ is sniffing out his next adventure as he struggles to clamber from the flowerbed.
His work is humorous and thought provoking, encouraging the viewer to create their own stories about the artwork.
One artist who crosses the ‘humorous’ and ‘disconcerting’ boundaries is Jenny Saville. Saville says: My women are beautiful in their individuality’. She adds that there is ‘no setting… no narrative… just flesh!’ and yet, we as the viewer cannot help but begin to create our own narrative for some of her work. In this painting, entitled ‘the Bride’ we feel the irony of the situation and also pathos for this character on her wedding day. She has dressed herself in special underwear which will mould and shape and make the best of her figure in her wedding outfit. The unglamorous perspective we are offered of her is perhaps the artists commenting on the bride herself? The viewer is left to interpret the story. We see a ‘sexy’ glimpse of her underwear and perhaps feel a little embarrassed on her behalf. This is an example of a painting that crosses my humorous and disconcerting band.
However, staying with the same artist, but moving firmly towards ‘disconcerting’ is the image ‘Knead’. Putting the pictures so close together demonstrates the limited palette Saville has used for these two paintings although the latter was painted 3-4 years after the first. I struggle to see such a distressing subject painted as a portrait. This woman(?) is clearly unwell and has suffered, is suffering and has yet to suffer. How can this make for a pleasing piece of artwork? What aesthetic qualities does this bring? For whom would this be a pleasing work of art? Why would someone want to buy this and then hang this in a room?
For me personally, having seen one of my own children in a condition like this it leaves me cold and repulsed. It brings back distressing memories I would rather not have and I am sure if my daughter saw it she would feel much the same. The memories extend beyond this image to the difficulties that came after this stage. I find this exploitative and in really bad taste. If certainly affects me emotionally. I would imagine there are many people who have had similar associations who might feel much the same as I do looking at this artwork. For me, it is not OK.
Much of the work by Francis Bacon is also disconcerting. I know many of his pictures represent his own troubled mind. Wikipedia says his work is ‘emotionally charged raw imagery…’ Distorted faces, some screaming or melting, often in contrived contexts with dark, sometimes menacing colours and mark making leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I experience no positive feelings looking at his work and it leaves me feeling empathy for someone I feel was emotionally and mentally in a delicate state.
References:
BACON, F, (2019), Francis Bacon (Artist)’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon_(artist). [Accessed 24.11.19]
BACON, F, (2009), ‘The New Yorker, Rought Stuff, A Francis Bacon retrospective at the Met, by Peter Schjeldahl’, [online], The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/06/01/rough-stuff-2. [Accessed 24.11.19]
HOGARTH, William (1741), ‘The Enraged Musician’, William Hogarth’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enraged_Musician [Accessed 24.11.19]
KLIMT, G, (1917), ‘Nude Standing left, holding a towel to the body’, [online], Bridgeman Library. Available at: https://www-bridgemaneducation-com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org/en/search?filter_text=klimt+female&page=1 [Accessed 24.11.19]
MATELLI, Tony, (2002), ‘Tony Matelli, The Hunter’, [online], Cranbrook Art Museum. Available at: https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/artwork/tony-matelli-hunter-2002/ [Accessed 23.11.19]
ROSSETTI, Dante Gabriel, (1874), ‘Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Prosperine’, [online], Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/rossetti-proserpine-n05064 [Accessed 24.11.19]
ROSSETTI, Dante Gabriel, (2019), ‘Prosperine (Rossetti painting), [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpine_(Rossetti_painting) [Accessed 24.11.19]
SAVILLE, J, (1995-6), ‘Knead, ‘Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale’, [online] Christies. Available at: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/jenny-saville-b-1970-knead-4315180-details.aspx. [Accessed 23.11.19]
SAVILLE, Jenny, (1992), ‘The Bride’ [online], Christie’s. Available at: https://www.christies.com/features/Jenny-Saville-Cindy-and-The-Bride-come-to-auction-8509-1.aspx [Accessed 22.11.19]
Research, p91 – The Nude in Art over Time…
Ancient Egyptians created nude female sculptures as early as 4400-4000BC. It is thought they were fertility figures, or placed with the dead in tombs for the afterlife. (UCL). The oldest naked art found in the West is the ‘Venus of Willendorf’ sculpture, dating from 28-25,00BC, and is also thought to be a fertility figure.
In Ancient Greece, from the 5th-6th century BC, supreme male athletes competed in the nude. Their bodies were revered, and they were held up as the ‘perfect human athlete’ (Sorabella), thus representation of male bodies in art took their form. The female form however ‘perfect’, was often portrayed more modestly, with partly draped fabrics or hands covering parts of their bodies.
Greeks and Romans continued to use perfect, idealised naked male and female forms in their art and sculpture. The Roman ‘The Warriors Leave taking Vase’ from 500BC is the first evidence of foreshortening in the human figure representation. (Jennings) Then there was a long hiatus where nudity was no longer in vogue in Western art. Sometimes it was hinted at in reference to a religious tale eg. Adam and Eve, or in mythological representations. However, the Renaissance saw a rebirth of the naked body in art, particularly through the artwork of Da Vinci, Michealangelo and Raphael.
However, Da Vinci was arguably less interested in the ‘nude’ as art per-se, and was more interested in the scientific aspects of the human body. In an effort to expand his own knowledge and understanding of how the human body was composed and worked he produced some incredible anatomical drawings from cadavers he stripped apart himself. He meticulously observed and recorded his learnings. Surprisingly, despite its world renowned, this work was never published, nor did it come into the public awareness the nineteenth century, nearly 300 later.
Drawing from live models became workshop practice in the Renaissance. However, when artists, who were mainly male, began painting nudes, the live models were often male. The artists added female attributes to their creations to represent the female form, as in ‘Dawn’ by Michaelangelo. However, it is thought that towards the end of his life Raphael might have been using real female models.
Since the Renaissance the nude has continued to appear in Western art.
By 17th Century renditions of the female form moved away from the idealized into more naturalistic forms, although they were often shown in religious, historical and mythical contexts and settings. Peter Paul Rubens became known for his portrayal of fuller figured, rounded females, and such images are often afforded the reference of being ‘rubinesque’ in style. In looking further at some Rubens work I came across a painting I found particularly disturbing.
Even before I saw the title I was shocked and mortified that a male artist could clearly glorify such evident violence and abuse of women and consider it worthy of a painting subject. Carroll says: ‘any interpretation of the painting is inadequate that does not attempt to come to terms with it as a celebratory depiction of sexual violence and the forcible subjugation of women… The effect is to suggest to the viewer the violence and the pleasurability of rape at the same time.’
For whom would he paint such a life size painting…. Presumably it was for ‘the male gaze’, and someone with wealth and power? The title using the word ‘rape’ makes it even more disconcerting. The females are represented as well fed, healthy, fair skinned, glossy haired and by implication, from a wealthy background. They are in the open, totally naked, no sign of clothes of their own, so vulnerable and totally overpowered by the strong, male, warrior-like men who look to be taking pleasure in the event itself.
Carroll, suggests that a: ‘tradition … emerged among princely patrons [of art] at the time… princes came to appreciate the particular lustre rape scenes could give to their own claims to absolute sovereignty….This point of view gave rise to the political theory that not only recognised the violence but indeed valorized it’.
It is believed that Rubens painted it for the French court. Whilst in name and content it represents a mythical tale, it was also thought to symbolise the ‘exchange of princess’ on marriage in 1615, between the French and Spanish courts. Again Carroll says of the painting: ‘the primary bond being forged is not the bond between husband and wife, but the bond between two men, who by exchanging sisters, become brothers-in-law, thereby bringing themselves and their nations into familial and political alliance.’
Female artist Artemisia Gentileschi, a pupil of Caravaggio in the seventeenth century, was one of the earliest successful female painters who painted clothed and nude figures ‘convincingly’. She depicted strong, empowered women. The National Gallery in London is staging an exhibition of her work later this year and they say of her work: ‘She painted subjects that were traditionally the preserve of male artists and for the male gaze; transforming meek maidservants into courageous conspirators and victims into survivors’. Apparently some Art Historians (Wiki) have suggested perhaps cynically that she was trying to ‘cater to a niche market in sexually charged, female-dominant art for male patrons’.
By the 18th Century the evolution of the nude in a painting continued as the nudes now appeared in ‘more frivolous surroundings’ (Graves). However, it still seems that the majority of these works revolved around mythical tales for their justification.
By 19th Century artists such as Courbet and Schiele were creating artworks that were on the edge of acceptability, and were known to shock and cause offence to some viewers. Indeed it is difficult to see how Courbet’s ‘L’Origine du Monde’ for example, is anything but pornographic. It pays no regard to the model herself… she is irrelevant. She has been reduced to an anonymous personal ‘body-part’! It is a closely observed detailed painting of the most intimate part of the female anatomy. It is shameless in its representation. There is no subtlety, it is ‘in your face’. We can only presume this was commissioned for someone to capture an aspect of someone they knew intimately. And yet, if this is the case, allowing an artist to paint such a personal part of the body also suggests, ironically, an unremitting lack of regard for the female concerned.
Was this artwork meant to celebrate the beauty of the human body or was its prime focus to titillate, thrill and shock the viewer? Was the female model a willing and knowing party to this, or was she powerless, unknowingly ‘naïve’, a ‘victim’, used and manipulated to satisfy the male gaze? It is hard to imagine that such an analytical ‘invasive’ macro-focus painting of male genitals would ever engender the same ‘fame’ or notoriety as this painting has.
Roz Hardie, comments on how it is most often the female form that is represented in nude art since the 1400’s. A member of ‘Object’, a feminist organisation, she states that naked women in art are ‘often associated with over-sexualisation, and there’s a focus on body parts rather than who we are’. (Shenghani, 2015).
Berger would agree. In Episode of ‘Ways of Seeing’ Episode 2, Berger explores the role and purpose of the nude in Western Oil paintings from 1400. Whilst Clarke, in an early essay reflecting of Nudes in Art, refers to the nude as: ‘a form of art’, Berger says that the nude ‘is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognised for oneself… a nude has to seen as an object in order to be a nude’.
He has some strong and at times controversial, and arguably ‘dated’ notions as he introduces this programme. He begins it by saying that ‘Men dream of women. Women dream of themselves being dreamt of by men’. This opening and somewhat patronising statement is a sweeping generalisation by a heterosexual male with stereotypical notions of what women ‘must’ think! Much of the programme continues in this vein.
He argues that Nude Art over this 500 year period shows the ‘criteria and conventions by which women were judged’. He constantly refers to the ‘Male Gaze’. I hadn’t appreciated how this has become an accepted term relating to Nude Art. I think, having seen the phrase used repeatedly in this arena, that it is a ubiquitous euphemism for how men in general are believed to perceive nude female art. In support of Berger’s view, Wikipedia (Nude in Art) says of nude art: ‘It is an eroticized image that holds the heterosexual male desire’. Snow defends the notion that ‘all’ men do not respond in a given way, and says that when this term, ‘Male Gaze’ is used: ‘certain motifs are almost sure to appear: voyeurism, objectification, fetishism, socopophilia, woman as the object of male pleasure…’ Berger however seems to suggest that nude women in artwork are there purely for the benefit of the male viewer, and that they are manipulated by the male artist and powerless in their own right. He claims that the female in Western art is not an ‘equal participant’ and is there to ‘feed an appetite, not to have any of their own’. Unquestionably, at times this will have been the case and sitters might have been ‘knowing’ or ‘naïve’, or flattered to be a model for an artist, and some might have been grateful to receive remuneration or kudos for it.
There must, however, have been many artists who chose to paint nudes for their love of the person painted, or for their enjoyment of figurative painting in general, or because of their admiration for the human form, as well as to develop their own artistic skills and knowledge further. I do not believe that ‘every’ painting of a female nude over the last 500 years has been done with the ‘generic’ male viewer in mind. Berger’s ‘absolutism’ in his stance could be seen as a cynical and narrow minded position to adopt.
Yoder claims that Life Drawing is a fundamental part of becoming an artist, and that to be able to successfully draw a clothed model, you have to have a good understanding of anatomy, which should be gained through opportunities to draw a nude, live model. It has only been relatively recently, within the last 100 years or less that females have been permitted to participate as artists in many Life Drawing classes at educational art establishments. This might help explain the lack of female artists representing the naked female form in the proceeding years. Nochlin (Wiki, Artemesia), an Art Historian questioned the lack of great female artists in history and concluded: ‘oppressive institutions, not lack of talent, have prevented women from achieving the same level of recognition that men received in art…’
The notion of nudes and an ‘uneasy relationship to sexual desire’ (Graves) gained more with the emergence of photography in the 20th Century. Questions were more often raised about the delineation between ‘art’ and ‘pornography’, and it is still very much an active consideration today.
Famously both Yoko Ono and Marina Abromovich have created performance pieces where they have allowed strangers to ‘respond’ to them without reacting in response. The curious, bemused and tentative initial atmosphere, in each case, gradually changed and became uncomfortably menacing as total strangers encouraged others into doing more and more extreme actions to the artists, and ultimately the clothes were cut off the artists and they were made nude through the ‘demands’ of the male and female public.
What does that say about the (female?) nude in art? What was the drive to humiliate the artists and de-robe them? What role did ‘pack mentality play in this?’ It is hard to know exactly why this might have happened. It is clear that some viewers became active, and at times ‘menacing’ participants in the performance, perhaps going further than the artists might have ever anticipated. Encouragingly, in Abromovich’s performance ‘a protective group began to define itself in the audience’ (McEvilley) and they stepped up to defend Abromovich when a man held a loaded gun to her head.
Mary Beard, a Cambridge classics professor says: ‘the nude [in art] is always in danger of being ‘soft porn for the elite’. (Bakare), (Armistead). Apparently she was inundated with abuse on social media for these comments.
Today there are many female artists contributing their voices to representations of the female nude body in art. Arguably their imagery no longer has the ‘sole’ purpose to simply satisfy the ‘male gaze’, and of course today, buyers of art are perhaps as likely to be female as male. However, to stand out from the crowd artists need to do it differently to be noticed. Some of these female generated artworks also now shock, challenge and provoke. (See Emin and Saville in previous research) However, they might argue they are creating their work from a feminist stance, and with some knowledge of the previous history and perceptions of the female nude in art, and argue that their intentions are very different from those of male artists over the proceeding 500 years, and that they, the female artists are now controlling the messages relating to their ‘nude in art’.
ARMISTEAD, Claire, (2020), ‘From fig leaves to pinups: Mary Beard on the evolution of the nude’, [online] Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jan/25/mary-beard-nude-art-male-gaze-naked-desire-female-perspective?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Outlook
[Accessed 25.1.20]
ARTEMISIA (2020), ‘Artemesia, the at National Gallery’ [online] National Gallery. Available at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/artemisia [Accessed 1.2.20)
BAKARE, Lanre, (2020), ‘Mary Beard sits for naked portrait in new BBC programme’ [online] guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/31/mary-beard-sits-for-naked-portrait-in-new-bbc-programme [Accessed 1.2.20]
BERGER, J, (1972), Ways of Seeing, Episode 2 for BBC Four’, [online], YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZR06JJWaJM. [Accessed 25.11.19]
CARROLL, Margaret D, (1989), The Erotic and Absolutism: Rubens and the Mystification of Sexual Violence’, [online] JSTOR Journal Article, University of California Press. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2928464?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A6f8e8a995467b97dc746861c9b00afaf&seq=28#page_scan_tab_contents. [Accessed 26.1.19]
GRAVES, Ellen, (2003), ‘Life Study: The Nude in Art – a Brief History’, [online], University of Dundee. Available at: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/djcad/lifestudy/graves/ [Accessed 2.12.19]
JENNINGS, Simon, (2007), ‘Body Parts’, Published by Mitchell Beazley, London.
McEVILLEY, Thomas (1974), ‘Rhythm 0,’ [online]. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_0 [Accessed 1.2.20]
MICHELANGELO, (1520), ‘Dawn (Michelangelo)’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_(Michelangelo) [Accessed 1.12.19]
RUBENS, Peter Paul (circa 1618), ‘The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus’, [online] File, Peter Paul Rubens – The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus.jpg. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_The_Rape_of_the_Daughters_of_Leucippus.jpg [Accessed 26.1.19]
SANGHANI, R, (2015), ‘Nude Women in art: are they really necessary?’ [online], Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11599835/Nude-women-painting-Are-nudes-really-necessary-in-art.html. [Accessed 27.11.19]
SIMBLET, Sarah (2001), ‘Anatomy for the artist’, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, London
SIMPSON, Ian, (1991), ‘Encyclopedia of Drawing Techniques’, (p72), Quatro Publishing plc, London.
QUIRKE, Stephen, (2003), ‘Gender: sex and fertility – non royal evidence, Digital Egypt for Universities’, [online], University College London. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/gender/sex.html [Accessed 4.12.19]
SORABELLA, Jean, (2005), ‘The Nude in Western art and its Beginning in Antiquity’, [online], The Met. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nuan/hd_nuan.htm [Accessed 30/11/19]
SNOW, Edward, (1989), ‘Theorizing the Male Gaze: Some Problems’, [online] Response in ‘The Erotic and Absolutism: Rubens and the Mystification of Sexual Violence’ by Carroll,JSTOR Journal Article, University of California Press. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2928464?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A6f8e8a995467b97dc746861c9b00afaf&seq=28#page_scan_tab_contents. [Accessed 26.1.19]
WIKIPEDIA (2020), ‘Artemesia Gentileschi’, [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_Gentileschi [Accessed 1.2.20]
WIKIPEDIA, (2019) ‘Nude (art)’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nude_(art) [Accessed 30.11.19]
WIKIPEDIA (2019), ‘Venus of Willendorf’ [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf [Accessed 4.12.19]
YODER, B, (2019), ‘Nudity in Art: A Virtue or Vice?’, [online], Art Renewal Center. Available at: https://artrenewal.org/Article/Title/nudity-in-art-a-virtue-or-vice. [Accessed 27.11.19]
Videos watched…
John Berger Ways of Seeing Episode 3. (1972)
Berger begins by saying that Oil paintings (from 1400-1900) were a ‘medium which celebrated private possessions’. The gist of the whole video reiterates this point and seeks to demonstrate and evidence his firmly held and sometimes righteous views. Whilst acknowledging others opinions, he then often belittles them in his responses suggesting they are the views of people who just don’t understand, or are naïve. His softly, slow spoken authority can feel somewhat arrogant.
He suggests that these European oil paintings were commissioned as a self-indulgence by the wealthy consumer to show their prized possessions to others, whether it be jewellery, rich fabrics and tapestries, animals etc. and to reflect their elevated positions in society. Of course, it is true that poor people would not be in a position to buy oil paintings nor would they have any desire to do so. It is also true that painters had to make a living and needed customers to buy their works and offer commissions. These artists were often meeting the needs of the patrons who ensured they had incomes and reputations of their own. It was a mutually satisfying relationship, even if the paintings that were produced were used as almost ‘advertising’ about the wealth and position of the client.
However, over the 500 years for which Berger claims this argument to be valid, it cannot always be true in every context. Even as a novice in looking at, and creating art, I can think of an immediate example where this argument would not be valid, for example. If I had a greater depth of knowledge, as he clearly has, I am sure I could think of many more examples to offer against his somewhat one-sided arguments.
Constable painted the ‘Haywain’ (1821) for the Annual Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy. He had no wealthy patron who asked him to paint it, and it is not celebrating the possessions of anyone. Perhaps he even painted it purely for his own pleasure? I believe over this time period there were many artists who painted scenes, portraits, landscapes, gatherings, significant places and events just because they were driven to by some internal motivation, such as: the significance of an occasion, the beauty of the scene or sitter, to tell or recount a story or event in history, (whether real or fictional), to raise questions, to provoke, or to capture a given moment in time…
Interestingly, Berger focuses on a beautiful painting by Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance (1664). He states: ‘despite its apparent celebration of property, this painting is about the mystery of light and time’. My discomfort with this statement is that he makes his opinions sound ‘absolute’. There are several ideas about what message this painting might seek to present. For me, I think it is significant that it has an anonymous title. Therefore it suggests it might not have been commissioned by anyone, but painted for the artists own intentions. Whatever the artists’ intent, unless he has recorded it himself, we can only conjecture. Berger makes statements rather than suggestions, and that feels uncomfortable and for me, undermines my belief in his opinions.
References:
BERGER, J, (1972), Ways of Seeing, Episode 3 for BBC Four’, [online], YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7wi8jd7aC4. [Accessed 25.11.19]
CONSTABLE, John, (1821), ‘The Hay Wain’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hay_Wain. [Accessed 25.11.19]
VERMEER J, (1664), ‘Woman Holding a Balance’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_Holding_a_Balance. [Accessed 25.11.19]
Project 2, Proportion – Research Point. (p96)
The most practical way for me to tackle the ‘feet first’ foreshortening task in this research point, was to sit on the floor of our bedroom with the feet closest to the mirror and sketch the reflection.I did a first attempt in a light colour and then redrew over it again with a darker colour. The second drawing merely parodied the first, rather than correcting it in any way.
My head was too big in this and the upper body too condensed, so I decided to redraw the pose again, bigger. This second was better proportioned. The left lower leg looks enormously long, but I did check and adjust it several times. I was also surprised that the foot was not much relatively bigger. However, I did check this against the rest of the drawing several times.
Thinking of artists that have successfully used foreshortening I could immediately think of two paintings that are very good examples of this.
The first, ‘Lamentation of Christ’ is by Mantegna. Wikipedia says of it: ‘The realism and tragedy of the scene are enhanced by the violent perspective, which foreshortens and dramatizes the recumbent figure, stressing the anatomical details…’ The comments go on further to comment that the relative size of the feet have been reduced so as not to overly dominate the picture.
Although this wasn’t particularly successful using my own reflection in the bedroom mirror, I did find a more effective photograph that showed the ‘large feet’ phenomenon better, and was able to produce this quick sketch from it.
The second picture, purely by chance, again has a religious association. It is ‘Christ of Saint John of the Cross’ by Salvador Dali in 1951. He claimed to have seen this image with this perspective of the subject in a dream and had to paint it.
Dali apparently had a stuntman model for this so he could get the perspectives correct. J. C. Clarke, a poet, quoted on Wikipedia apparently has said of this image: ‘utterly different from any other image of the crucifixion, as the angle of view conveys the hanging pain of this method of execution, whilst hiding the ordinarily cliched facial expressions normally seen in such depictions.’
This self portrait of Freud is a reflection of himself in a mirror positioned on the floor. The odd thing about this picture, is less about the foreshortened view of the artist, but for me, the anonymously referenced ‘two children’ drawn from a different perspective pictured in the lower left of the painting. These were apparently two of his own children. The artificial line delineating the father from his children makes it look like they are standing in front of a canvas painting of their father. This idea for this composition apparently references an Egyptian ‘illustration on the tomb of Seneb, the Dwarf, and his family’ (Museobilbao.com).
Why might the artist chose to paint himself in this way? Does he look down on the viewer, or put himself above the viewer? He feels tall and a little disparaging, perhaps even arrogant. His children bring the viewer back to earth, both in terms of positioning on the canvas, their size, their perspective and their poses and their very casual attire, in contrast to their suited father. Does this have any relationship to their anonymity in the painting name?
References:
DALI, Salvador, (1951), ‘Christ of Saint John of the Cross’, [online] By http://www.dali-gallery.com, Fair use, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6012054. [Accessed 3.12.19]
FREUD, Lucian, (1965), ‘Reflection with two children (self portrait), [online]. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid. Available at: https://www.museobilbao.com/in/exposiciones/reflejo-con-dos-ninos-autorretrato-4 [Accessed 3.12.19]
MANTENGA, Andrea, (c.1480), ‘Lamentation of Christ’, [online], Wikipedia, ‘Lamentation of Christ (Mantega), Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamentation_of_Christ_(Mantegna). [Accessed 3.12.19]
Research Point, p91, Historic and contemporary artists whose work involves the underlying structure of the body
Thinking of an historic artist whose work shows a vast knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the body and its composite parts, and the framework of bones and musculature that supports it, Michelangelo immediately jumps to mind.
This image of Adam (Smithsonian) on the roof of the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo shows closely observed physical aspects of the reclining male form. At this time the art models were male rather than female. There were no reference books to ‘acquire’ this information from, and so to develop a skill like this he had to work directly from live models as his references. Best known as a sculptor rather than a painter, despite this incredible artwork, the athletic, larger than life statue of David has to be thought of as his ‘masterpiece.
In a review of this work on ‘The Art Story’ website, it says:
‘An exquisite example of his [Michelangelo’s] knowledge of anatomy can be seen in David’s musculature,’
This reference site also suggests that Michelangelo, knowing the statue would be placed above head height of the viewer and therefore physically ‘looked up to’, slightly exaggerated the length of David’s body to give it a more realistic perspective when viewed from below.
This charcoal drawing, Nu Assis, is not a drawing about the way light falls on the figure, but instead it is an attempt to model the forms of the body in a cubist syle. The light parts of the form are closest to the viewer, and the darker marks represent where the muscles or limbs move further away from view. This shows close observation of the planes of the body and an awareness of musculature and form.
This second drawing, ‘Untitled seated nude’, shows a female sitter with more subtle forms using the same modelling technique.
The third, a standing man, is more sketchy and loose, like a preparatory drawing, but even within these few marks, Miro is showing his knowledge and understanding of the musculature of the body, even without adding any modelling tones like the first two drawings.
Tiras, by Peter Howson is one of many representations of ‘working class men’ in aggressive stances, looking like they are about to fight or are in the middle of one that Howson is known for. Their muscles are all pumped up, but to make these successful, he has to have an in-depth knowledge of the underlying structures of such a character. The second is similar, but is a little more subtle and slightly less of a caricature. These are really expressive paintings full of testosterone.
The play of light, and shade, together with the plain, almost menacing backgrounds in both these paintings is used to emphasize the forms further and make them more graphic. We could almost be at a boxing match! The muscles, tendons, sinews and underlying skeletal framework are particular features of Howson’s work and suggest a brutish strength in these men. These strained ‘parts’ create a tension in the paintings as a whole and in the characters depicted. These characters do not feel like they are in charge of their emotional responses on a rational level, and that violence is something they enjoy and revel in. The lack of hair in both these figures draws more attention to the skull and neck, and reinforces a somewhat Neanderthal, primitive feel.
References:
HOWSON, Peter (1996), ‘Schelomo’, Sotheby’s ‘Scottish Art’ Available at: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.52.html/2015/scottish-art-l15135 [Accessed 15.12.19]
HOWSON, Peter (1997), ‘Tira’s’, Artnet, Flowers Gallery, London/New York, [online]. Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/peter-howson/tiras-a-NUJ8ADTj1RO2QVSwAPyi1w2 [Accessed 15.12.19]
MICHELANGELO, (1508-12), ’The Measure of Genius: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel at 500’ , by Jamie Katz in ‘Smithsonian Mag, 2009 [online]. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-measure-of-genius-michelangelos-sistine-chapel-at-500-123313873/ [Accessed 16.12.19]
MICHELANGELO, (1501-4), ‘David’ , Michelangelo Artworks, Italian Painter, Sculptor, Poet and Architect, The Art Story, Modern Art Insight. [online]. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/michelangelo/artworks/ [Accessed 16.12.19]
MIRO, Joan, (1916), ‘Nu Assisse’ from Experimental Drawing, by Robert Kaupelis, Crown Publishing Group, New York, 1980.
MIRO, Joan, (1916), ‘Untitled, Seated Nude’, Fundació Joan Miró [online]. Available at: https://www.fmirobcn.org/en/colection/catalog-works/19852/p-em-untitled-seated-nude-em-p [Accessed 15.12.19]
MIRO, Joan, (1915), ‘Untitled Nu dempeus’, Fundació Joan Miró, [online]. Available at: https://www.fmirobcn.org/ca/col-leccio/cataleg-obres/297/p-em-sense-titol-nu-dempeus-em-p [Accessed 15.12.19]
Contemporary and historic artists who work on the face in different ways
Graham Little was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1972.
I looked at a range of his artworks beginning with this beautiful 2019, relatively conventional painting of a man and dog. It struck me instantly however, that it seemed to have a dated quality to it, and reminded me of a Pre-Raphaelite style of work: the minutae of detail, the gentle, relaxed pose, the smooth flawless sensitively coloured skin of the face, and the colour schemes of days gone by…. And perhaps, subconsciously the registering of the fruit held aloft in his hand… reminiscent of ‘Prosperine’ and her pomegranate. It is a painting that crosses time boundaries. The jumper is arguably the only indication of a modern-day life.
Looking on the internet is really useful to discover artwork by artists unfamiliar to me, but for a painting like this, I cannot fully appreciate the mark making or particular detail that comprises it. It is gouache on paper and is smaller than A4 size.
The Gallery that shows many of his works says that his work (AlisonJacquesgallery.com (2020)): ‘blends Romanticism and Postmodernism’. I looked at more of his work, and was astonished to see that each piece of work is ‘untitled’ and it seems it is the gallery who has added a short descriptive name to each work. Is this a controversial attention seeking device? I find it strange that the artist is happy to hand over the naming of the piece to, in this case, a gallery. That is an important aspect of the work to lose control of, and seems a strange choice for such a successful artist. Lorrain-Smith suggests that: ‘I found out how to open doors of perception… by imaginative titles, because those affect what people see.’
However, as I looked at some of the other paintings, I began to see things I found a little unsettling.
This one jarred at first sight and made me stop and linger. Why were the colours so garish and the scene so contrived with bold colours. Red, yellow and white dominate. Then there are the ‘frills’…, the frilled edge to the apron hem, pockets, serviettes, curtain edges,bread, fruit on the table and even echoed I the flower shapes. There is so much being ‘said’ in this, but what it is feels quite unreachable. It feels like an Alice in Wonderland parody.
In this picture there are so many ‘what and whys’ for the viewer. Compositionally it is challenging and unconventional, and the subject and content are even more so. The figure is sensitively rendered as in each of the examples. They are ‘knowing’ and we are not. They are ‘there’… neither happy, nor seemingly sad… all is normal, only clearly it is not. The paintings are quirky, the cast is silent and accepting. There is stillness, subtle humour, irony. The characters are posed and passive and we want to know more. These were my thoughts before I read the overview from the gallery. It similarly states that Little’s work creates: ‘enigmatic and ambiguous scenes woven with quiet narrative and emotion.’ Is there ‘emotion’ or is the disquiet for the viewer amplified by the characters apparent lack of emotions? Thought provoking work which shows tremendous artistic skill in both the rendering and the compositions.
Elizabeth Peyton was born in Connecticut, America in 1965.
The artwork of Elizabeth Peyton is a contrast to Little’s work. Her colours are less subtle… even aggressive at times. Her mark making is bolder and more instantly expressive. Some works reminded me of work by Matisse although others reference the PopArt portraiture style of Warhol. She herself cites David Hockney as a major influence.
Her work explores a wide variety of styles and media. She also cites many photographers as being inspirational for her. Indeed, at times, some of her work is based off their photographs and this has, at times resulted in litigation against her for plagiarism of their work.
Like Warhol, many of her works of art are of celebrities. Others are of family and friends. Many take on similar features to her own face, and some seem to have a feminine or androgynous face, such as her ‘portrait’ sketch of Napoleon from 1991. There is very little detail in this image and where you might expect more detail in the eye closest to us, it is scant in detail.
Similarly, although clearly recognisable as Eminem the singer and songwriter, her monochrome painting of him certainly bears aspects of her own face.
I do wonder what Eminem might make of this drawing. He projects a ‘Hard Man’ image and this painting clearly does not reflect that.
I wonder if Peyton might have been trying to suggest a different side to him by intent, or was this just how the painting evolved… subconsciously?
Traditionally of course, the direct stare at the viewer is an aggressive posture, but to me his stare looks more ‘sultry’ than intimidating.
The final painting of hers here is a self portrait. As with the other examples, it is loosely and expressively rendered.
You feel her work must be completed quickly and with energy, whereas Little takes many months to complete each one of his paintings. (Alison Jacques Gallery) With Peyton, there is often just the portrait without a narrative contextual setting, or one that tries to raise further questions. It is arguably less subtle perhaps. Nonetheless, she tries to capture the essence of real people in real contexts. In an interview on YouTube, Peyton says that ‘the way people think and feel changes their faces over time’ and this intrigues her. As she is aging, so too are the subjects she is choosing to paint.
Frida Kahlo
When I think of a portrait artist, Frida Kahlo comes to my mind immediately. Her paintings, mainly self portraits are very autobiographical and also contain many cultural references. Glaves-Smith says (p499) the artwork explores ‘… her emotional and psychological states of mind, yet it often transcends the personal by questioning gender roles and the power relations between individuals and nations’.
This painting is full of Mexican cultural symbolism that relates to a specific point in her life. Whilst it is a realistic portrait of her she invariably choses to emphasize her eyebrows and dark hair above her lip, like a trademark in her art. She looks directly at the viewer, as she does in many of her works, invading the viewers’ space, projecting her strong character and views. Similarly, as in other her other artwork, despite the evident physical and mental pain and distress she suffered, she often displays a similar passive expression. Might this relate to the idea that she felt she was powerless to control what happened to her.
Kahlo’s work is powerful and at times quite challenging and unsettling. Many of the artworks deal with the emotional and physical pain she constantly experienced. In each of her works she seeks to tell a story. It is naïve, and at times almost like a caricature. She never had any formal art training but was involved with and married to a highly revered Mexican painter called Rivera for most of her adult life. Their works undoubtedly influenced each other.
I find her work and her life story fascinating and often tragic, but I am not influenced artistically by paintings. Breton (Vogue) ‘described Kahlo’s art as a ‘ribbon around a bomb’, and some have suggested that she turned her disabilities into a distinguished aspect of her art. Did the need to express her difficulties emotionally and physically drive her art, or was her art driven by portraying these experiences. The difference is quite subtle perhaps.
Ironically I think photos of her have now become more iconic and inspirational than some of her artwork. I love the clothes, make up, combinations of pattern and colour, and in some, more evidence of emotion. We can see in these the strength of her character, and her flamboyant nature, colourful clothing and evidence of her individuality without any perceived personal bias of her own self-portraits. There are those that suggest these photos were a deliberate attempt at further self-promotion. Wolfe (1938) (quoted in Vogue) ‘Madame Rivera seems herself a product of her art and, like all her work, one that is instinctively and calculatedly well composed’.
It is challenging to think of older historical portrait painters who might inspire my own work. Whilst I admire the classical and traditional style of earlier times in history, and can appreciate the purpose and the beauty of some of the art, from the 15th century to the late 1800’s, there is not an obvious artist I can think of who I would consider an inspiration to the work I am wanting to create and experiment with at this time.
However, in trying to research this, I did come across some of the drawings of Hans Holbein the Younger, and was amazed by how they appear timeless in the quality of the drawing and delicate colouring. This drawing, in gentle tones captures the sitters personalities and in the first, a gentle sense of fun. The shading on the faces is subtle and delicate and yet there are enough marks to create form with a very limited range of tones.
The eyes in particular have been given a lot of attention showing how Holbein recognised the importance of capturing this aspect of the face to get a good likeness.
The subtle handling of the qualities of light can be something that draws me to a picture. The light and skin quality of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Vermeer is quite startling. Although as the information says on the Mauritshuis website: ‘this is not a portrait, but a ‘tronie’… an imaginary figure’. Perhaps the same is true of Rubens ‘Old woman and a boy with candles’ (1616) where he uses chiaroscuro so effectively.
A more modern master who could also manipulate the effects of light well is Gerhard Richter. The luminoscity of Lesende (1994) is startling to see first-hand. I think it helps that I have seen these three artworks personally in galleries.
The portrait work of the Pre-Raphaelites, Millais, Burne-Jones and Rossetti is stunning and rendered with such attention to detail in the characters, their setting, the quality of light, colour schemes and often patterns too. There is so much allegorical meaning and thought that has gone into the composition of their paintings, in addition to them being incredibly beautiful works of art.
Another artist whose portraits do really inspire me is Gustav Klimt. I am particularly drawn to his use of beautiful colours and the integration of patterns. His portraits ooze luxury and mystery. I love the mixed media feel of these and how the delicate porcelain features of the face and skin jump forward from the metallic and heavily patterned background. His designs are heavily influenced by early Egyptian symbols, and with his own notions of male and female symbolism. They stand out from the work of his peers of that time, and remain strikingly individual, distinctive work even today.
References
BURNE-JONES, Sir Edward Coley, (1860), ‘Sidonia von Bork’, Essential Pre-Raphaelites by Lucinda Hawksley, Paragon Publishing, London
GLAVES-SMITH, John, (2008), ‘Art,The Definitive Visual Guide’ Editorial Consultant: Andrew Graham Dixon, Dorling Kindersley Ltd, London
HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER, Hans, (1527), ‘Mary, Lady Guildford’,[online], Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary,_Lady_Guildford,_drawing_by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.jpg [Accessed 18.1.2020]
HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER, Hans, (1532), ‘Portrait of an English Woman, drawing’, [online], The British Museum. Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/hans-holbein-the-younger-portrait-of-an-english-woman-a-drawing/bwFrbEYujmaI_w [Accessed 18.1.2020]
KAHLO, Frida, 2018), ‘The Personal Branding of Frida Kahlo’, [online], Behind the Personal Branding of Frida Kahlo, by Hamish Bowles, Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/frida-kahlo-making-her-self-up-london [Accessed 18.1.2020]
KAHLO, Frida, (1940), ‘Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird’, The Frida Kahlo Foundation [online]. Available at: https://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/Self-Portrait-With-Monkeys-1940.html [Accessed 17.1.19]
KAHLO, Frida, (2008), ‘Frida Kahlo Artworks’ at The Art Story. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/kahlo-frida/artworks/
KLIMT, Gustav, (1996), ‘Klimt’, by Catherine Dean, Phaidon Press Limited, London
KLIMT, Gustav, (1907), ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Adele_Bloch-Bauer_I [Accessed 18.1.2020]
KLIMT, Gustav, (1902), ‘Portrait Emilie Floge’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Portrait_Emilie_Fl%C3%B6ge_Gustav_Klimt_1902.jpg [Accessed 18.1.2020]
LITTLE, Graham, (2019), ‘’Untitled (Man and Dog)’ [online]. Graham Little, Alison Jacques Gallery. Available at: https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/artists/26-graham-little/overview/ [Accessed 15.1.2020]
LITTLE, Graham, (2014), ‘’Untitled (Parlour)’ [online]. Graham Little, Alison Jacques Gallery. Available at: https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/artists/26-graham-little/works/12520/ [Accessed 15.1.2020]
LITTLE, Graham, (2008), ‘’Untitled’ [online]. Graham Little, Alison Jacques Gallery. Available at: https://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/artists/26-graham-little/works/8393/ [Accessed 15.1.2020]
LORRAIN-SMITH, Roy, (2020), ‘Ways of Seeing’, SAA Paint magazine Jan 2020, p32. Nottinghamshire
MILLAIS, Sir John Everett, ((1853), ‘The Order of Release’, Essential Pre-Raphaelites by Lucinda Hawksley, Paragon Publishing, London
PEYTON, Elizabeth, (2015), ‘Elizabeth Peyton: Faces contain their Time’, You Tube [online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hwl1l_j2vE. [Accessed 12.1.20]
PEYTON, Elizabeth, (2002), ‘Em’. [online] Elizabeth Peyton, MoMA, Museum of Modern Art. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/89168?artist_id=8042&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist [Accessed 12.1.2020]
PEYTON, Elizabeth (1991), ‘Napoleon’. [online]. EPPH, Every Painter Paints Himself, Art’s Masterpieces Explained. Elizabeth Peyton’s Portraits. Available at:
https://www.everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/elizabeth_peytons_portraits_1991 [Accessed 12.1.2020]
PEYTON, Elizabeth (2011), ‘Self Portrait, Berlin’. [online]. Gagosian. Available at:
https://gagosian.com/artists/elizabeth-peyton/ [Accessed 12.1.2020
PEYTON, Elizabeth (2019), ‘Elizabeth Peyton’. [online] Wikipedia. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Peyton 12.1.19
RICHTER, Gerhardt, (1994), ‘Lesende’, Gerhardt Richter {online]. Available at: https://www.gerhard-richter.com/en/art/paintings/photo-paintings/women-27/reader-8054 [Accessed 17.1.2020]
ROSSETTI, Dante Gabriel, (1869), ‘Pia de Tolomei’ ,[online], Wikipedia, Fichier: Rossetti – Pia de Tolomei. Available at: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Rossetti_-_Pia_de_Tolomei.JPG [Accessed 18.1.2020]
RUBENS, Peter Paul, (1617) ‘Old Woman and Boy with Candles’ Mauritshuis [online]. Available at: https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/explore/the-collection/artworks/old-woman-and-boy-with-candles-1150/detailgegevens/ [Accessed 17.1.2020]
VERMEER, Johannes, (1665), ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ Mauritshuis [online]. Available at: https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/explore/the-collection/artworks/girl-with-a-pearl-earring-670/ [Accessed 17.1.2020]
Research Artists Self-Portraits (p110 task)
Durer (1471 – 1528)
This startling, stare-directly-at-the-viewer, full face self portrait by Durer has a strangely contemporary feel. It is direct and suggests a strong, purposeful personality. There is no doubt in his eyes. He is confident and in control. It is like an advertisement of himself and his abilities as an artist. His long, curling locks, glinting the light are clearly part of his identity, and he is dressed in fine clothes, suggesting his standing in society.
In the Book ‘Art, The Definitive Guide, the author writes: ‘Durer believed that his artistic mission reflected that of Jesus, and here he seems to have deliberately painted himself as a Christ-like figure.’ Much art at this time related to biblical characters, but the notion of Durer painting himself in this realistic painting style emulating such a significant figure might seem somewhat arrogant and self-indulgent, if that were really the case? What is amazing is that the light in this picture is used so effectively. He must have been looking at himself in a mirror with light changing constantly as he painted, from daylight to candle light, and yet every aspect of the painting remains consistent and strong. It is a truly remarkable painting. It contains ‘enough’ and yet not too much… plain background, hints of his well-being and standing in society, and of his contentment with himself. Did he include his right hand because he was a right handed artist and this is particularly significant? Whilst his face is motionless and impassive, his hand seems to express subtly, more signs of life and even a gentleness.
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Rembrandt was known to have painted more than 50 self-portraits in his lifetime. This first one here shows him as a smooth skinned, dapper 36 year old man, who was at a very successful stage of his art career. The paint marks are blended and smooth with a soft focus about them. The colours are warm and he looks slightly to the side, rather than directly at the viewer. Whilst there is an inner confidence in his self-assured pose, it is not as forthright or assertive as the Durer one and has the effect of suggesting more humility and modesty in his character. Like Durer, he too is able to successfully create different textures of the fabrics, metals and skin.
This was thought to be Rembrandt’s last self portrait and it was painted in the year he died. The brush strokes are looser, increasing the ‘soft focus’ effect. Perhaps his eyesight was also diminishing.
His physical frame occupies a similar space as the earlier portrait and similarly his gaze is slightly downward and not directly at the viewer. However, in this portrait he looks tired, and resigned. There is more of a sense of sadness and heaviness around his eyes, which creates a sense of waning energy.
The palette has cooled and is much greyer. His clothing feels less exuberant, but then towards the end of his life he struggled more financially. Nonetheless, he is still a substantial presence physically. He was 63 years old.
In all three of these portraits there is a strong light source contrasting with dark shadows. The tonal range is wide and makes these portraits more dramatic and sculptural. The significant light source falls on the right of their faces even though the three poses all face different directions. I wonder is that intentional, and if so, what are they saying in that?
Kathe Kollwitz (1867 – 1945)
Kollwitz made about 100 self-portraits throughout her lifetime and It is interesting to compare the progression and style of some of these artworks throughout her life.
This is a sensitive charcoal drawing, focussing on her face and hand and showing the essence of her clothing. The diminishing detail in her attire ensures the face is the focus of the drawing. She chooses a mid-tone paper and works with lighter and darker tones. She looks boldly back at the viewer.
In this next drawing there is a powerful and ‘energetic’ sense of the artist feeling overwhelmed. It is disconcerting and exudes despair. She still maintains her visual engagement with the viewer, and yet part of her face is shielded by her hand. The interesting circular marks that project the face forward in space, create the effect of a maelstrom of feelings and emotions trying to be held in check. Once again the details diminish towards the outer edges of the art. This image could be of a male or female. Any allusion to beauty is swept away. It is clearly irrelevant. You sense there are more important issues in her life. There is no indication of her location or costume, nor is there glamour or celebration of ‘the self’. The hand is a significant part of this drawing compositionally and emotionally.
This is a pared down tonal drawing , contrasting with the frantic lines of the previous image. There is a confidence and mastery in the use of the charcoal medium. The de-contextualized head floats in space. Her ability to use ‘less in more’ to create form in this is remarkable.
This reemploys many of the techniques of the previous charcoal drawing. Minimalist, expressive, strong, confident mark making. She knows herself, her art and in this there is a stateliness. In both these charcoal drawings there are just subtle indications to suggest her femininity.
This last drawing is the only one that doesn’t address the viewer directly. Instead her attention is given to a ghostly white hand contrasting the black fabric on her shoulder as it gently taps her. Is her telling her ‘it is time’. I feel, in response, with her raised, unlined hand and raised finger that she is suggesting that she is not quite ready yet. She lived for another eight years after this.
Perhaps this is also a response to the changes that were occurring as Europe was building up to the second World War. She would have been aware of the increasing suffering around her. She was someone who cared about everyday people, the proletariat, and the well being of those less able than her. Could this be a more symbolic image than a literal one. You feel anger and energy in the boldly scribbled marks even though the face suggests a weary exhaustion.
Fridman, in discussing the mark making in the powerfully emotive drawing ‘Woman with dead Child’, 1903 states:
‘…the softly rendered, quiet areas of the drawing are juxtaposed with areas of urgent, scratch-like hatch marks, creating tension and a sense of desperation’.
In reading this I was struck how this description could equally be applied to this latter self-portrait.
Bridgman, (Fridman) suggests that: ‘while we often train our faces to hide thought and feeling, our hands respond unconsciously to mental states and reveal what the face conceals’.
Tracey Emin (1963 – )
Much of Tracey Emin’s work is autobiographical in nature. One of her major influences has been Egon Schiele. This is clearly evident in these self portraits. Her lines are expressive and energetic. In her haste to tell a story, or relive a moment the marks are raw and intuitive. You can feel the emotional energy in the marks rather than the images. This image comprises two people and this the black menacing shape in the lower left corner, combined with the vulnerable, clearly naked shape on the left, and the title of the piece makes it feel like she is creating this piece to come to terms with a traumatic event, or series of events in her life.
Often, in her ‘self-portraits’ her face is partly hidden, concealed or scribbled out altogether. A likeness is clearly not a requirement. There seems a misnomer with someone whose art is driven by the ‘self’ to be so reluctant to represent her facial likeness. Even if I didn’t know something of her background, I would infer that this person has issues with who she is and lacks self-confidence.
This piece of art exudes anger and frustration. The red is a symbolic choice. What does it represent… blood, pain, suffering.. maybe all of this? Once again the face is ‘de-faced’. It is more than ‘not important’. She does not want her portrait to look at the viewer, or for the viewer to look at her. That is too personal! She doesn’t want anything read into her work through facial expressions. Her messages are in the titles, mark making and ‘de-personalised’ personal images. It is an oxymoron. Look at me but don’t see me. I express outward but you, the viewer, you don’t get to see inward. I am in control of what you see.
She is protecting herself from the outside and getting rid of things from inside. She is clearly nude and reclining, in this image but what is it that ‘was all too much’? It is provocative and prompts lots of questions. The mark making is frantic, but ironically, she is still in control of what she allows us to see.
Lloyd-Smith says of the exhibition that it comprised: ‘many portraits depicting gestural female nudes – presumably Emin – reclining, sleeping, bleeding and masturbating.’
The anonymity of these figures allows her to portray personal acts, arguably without any sense of discomfort. The images are vague enough to be disconnected from her. Their ambiguity almost means that they are not necessarily her, even if she says they are. Might it be fair to suggest that she can be shocking without ‘facing up’ to it? She displays her emotions and yet keeps the reins tight, protecting herself. She appears to be a complex, confused character who wants attention and yet doesn’t .
Emin herself stated that her work here was about: ‘releasing myself from shame. I’ve killed my shame, I’ve hung it on the walls’
She seeks to heal herself through expressing and confronting her feelings, thoughts emotions and experiences in her artwork.
Her work, somewhat like Kollwitz, is less about achieving a likeness than it was for Durer and Rembrant. Of course, in an age where there was no cameras or recording media, creating artwork in your likeness was a form of advertising your proficiency. There had to be a likeness to be successful as an artist. These later day portrait artists have different motivations. There is lots of competition for attention and lots of different mediums in which to express what you have to say. Likeness or not, these portraits are all seeking to project an image of the artist, physically and mentally. There are messages beyond any likeness that are very personal and important for them.
References:
DURER, Albrecht, (2008), ‘Art, The Definitive Visual Guide’, Published by Dorling Kindersley, London [Accessed 2.2.2020]
DURER, Albrecht, (2020), ‘Albrecht Durer’ [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer [Accessed 2.2.2020]
EMIN, Tracey, (2018), ‘It was all too much’, [online]. Wallpaper, ‘Tracey Emin lays bare her own traumas in piercing new show’ by Harriet Lloyd-Smith. Available at: https://www.wallpaper.com/art/tracey-emin-a-fortnight-of-tears-white-cube-bermondsey [Accessed 2.2.2020]
EMIN, Tracey, (2018), ‘You kept watching me’, [online]. Wallpaper, ‘Tracey Emin lays bare her own traumas in piercing new show’, by Harriet Lloyd-Smith. Available at: https://www.wallpaper.com/art/tracey-emin-a-fortnight-of-tears-white-cube-bermondsey [Accessed 2.2.2020]
KOLLWITZ, Kathe, (2020), ‘Kathe Kollwitz’, [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A4the_Kollwitz. [Accessed 2.2.2020]
KOLLWITZ, Kathe, (2019), ‘The Drawings of Kathe Kollwitz’, [online] The Drawing Source by Marina Fridman. Available at: https://www.thedrawingsource.com/kathe-kollwitz.html [Accessed 2.2.2020]
REMBRANDT, Harmensz van Rijn (2008), ‘History of Art’, Published by Nick Wells at Star Fire Books, London
REMBRANDT, Harmensz van Rijn (2020), ‘Self Portrait, 1669’, [online]Bridgeman Education. Available at: https://www-bridgemaneducation-com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org/en/ [Accessed 2.2.2020]
OCA Video’s Watched
‘Tonal Life Drawing using Charcoal’, Jane Lazenby
‘Using Shapes to Draw a Figure’, Jane Lazenby
Using Thumbnails and drawings to visualise ideas’
Quick Seated Sketch, Jane Lazenby, Available at: https://vimeo.com/12016459
Programmes Watched
The Beauty of Anatomy, BBC4 Ep 1 of 5 (5.2.2020)
Presented by Dr Adam Rutherford
He introduced Galen (130AD-210AD), who was a ‘Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman Empire’ (wiki) and was truly the first person to research and record his growing knowledge of anatomy. He was reputed to be the personal physician of Marcus Aurelius. His knowledge was acquired through the medicine he practiced, and it is believed he would have attended to wounded Gladiators and performed operations where deemed necessary. However, human dissection was forbidden at this time so instead he dissected monkeys and pigs to further his anatomical understandings.
He built on Socrates teachings believing that the human was a small part of something greater and that the universe and humans were intrinisically linked . He was curious to find out about the ‘link between anatomy and theology’, and how health was influenced by worldly and outworldly forces such as astronomy. He told of the importance of the ‘four humours’, the bodily fluids that determined how healthy an individual was, and indiciated their state of mind and how they best be treated in light of that.
Many of his anatomical discoveries ‘dominated and influenced Western medical science for more than 1300 years’ (Wiki). However, he did only write of his discoveries and any drawings relating to his work were completed by others based only on his writings.
Interestingly the programme moved from Galen to Leonardo da Vinci, never mentioning or acknowledging the important works of Andreas Vesalius, ‘the founder of modern human anatomy’ and his ‘seminal work’ on human dissections of 1543, De Humani Corporis Fabrica’, one of the ‘most influential books on human anatomy’ (Wiki). Perhaps his work and the lasting legacy of it will feature in episode 2.
References
GALEN, (2020), ‘’Galen’, Wikipedia,[online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen [Accessed 6.2.2020]
VESALIUS, Andreas, (2020), ‘Andreas Vesalius’, [online], Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Vesalius [Accessed 6.2.2020]
Cathy's OCA Drawing 1 Blog 
