Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat

Quote by Griselda Pollock and Rozsika Parker, Old Mistresses

'sexual, physical, the spectacle of beauty'

Quote by Liz Rideal, Self-Portraits

'the artist chooses to create a self-portrait to have complete control over its production'

how does colour reflect the subject matter

- Rococo palette of pastel, soft colours (assoc. femininity) white and pine= dress white and ochre= fabric strung around waist blue, pastel sky (nature is gendered as feminine) - emphasis on colour to depict form over line (against academic tradition of art set up by patriarchy)

factors that express her identity

- Rococo style of painting - delicate and fanciful decoration (curves of dress) - soft muted palette - clothing - semi exposed breast

describe the composition

- balanced: central vertical axis running down middle of canvas, sense of balance between symmetry of her face and the cropping of part of her palette, making it an open composition - focal point is the head of the sitter, however viewer's gaze drifts down from her frankly returned to gaze to the centre of canvas (semi-exposed breast and décolletage- softened and highlighted by light source)

describe the way she is dressed

- dressed fashionably: rustic straw hat, silk dress (white and pain) with a white frill edging that frames her décolletage -unkempt her, large drop earrings

inspiration

- echoes Rubens The Straw Hat - Baroque colours (red on sleeves of Rubens- picked up in flowers on hat, deep black that dominates Rubens is picked out in shawl of Lebrun's delicately draped over arms) - hat (straw instead of felt)

composition of Rubens

- frontal -3/4 length with hands

comment on Vigee's gaze and gesture

- open expression: lips parted, conversation, active and engagement with audience - clutching palette - open palm, offering herself up to the painting

context of training

- trained at Academy Saint Luke (aged 19) - let into Royal Academy in 1783, despite conflict of interest with husband working in commerce (1 year after this painting)

was realism important to Vigee

- yes in terms of showing a likeness and textural details - no in the sense that composition is constructed - no, made herself look eternally youthful (aged 27)

Rubens style

-Baroque -strong colours -painterly -textures -drama

pose of Rubens

-crossed hands -contained - looking down and to side

why has she done this self portrait

-display her talent as a painter, draw attention to this through her good looks (she appears to be able to do both at the same time in this constructed image)

subject matter

-painted herself head on, looking out directly out at the viewer and with her body turned slightly in 3/4 length standing portrait. whilst holding a palette

how does the work subvert conventions of C18 portraiture

-propaganda for a woman's skills as a painter -defiant outwards gaze- typically male manner (rather than subservient in Rubens)

how does her palette show femininity

-soft muted palette full of pinks, whites and yellows

Vigee dates

1755-1842

date

1782

when was French rev and when was MA killed

1789 1793

who is the sitter (gender, class, status, wealth)

Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun - female - modest social background - royal ties with Marie Antoinette (court artist) - gained status when marrying husband (lebrun) - supported her family financially from age of 15 and then husband with sales of her paintings

is she shown as an individual or with her traditional role in family setting

INDIVIDUAL - shown as an artist and woman - had 2 children at time- but not shown as mother or wife

what context was the painting show in

Public show in Salon (where exhibited as History painter)

describe differences between hers and Rubens

Ruben - sitter much more detached, submissive, contained, prominent breasts, round large eyes, small lips and painted by male (she is on display for male view) Lebrun- painted by her, engaging with viewer, lips parted- conversation, strong and talented yet admirably beautiful

what was Rubens famous as

a colourist

Quote by Frances Borzello in Seeing Ourselves: Women's Portraits

producing a self-portrait 'meant reconciling the conflict between what society expected of women and what it expected of artists', both of which were diametrically opposite