#portraitmonday — Public Fediverse posts

"Self-Portrait with a Red Cap," Ottilie Roederstein, 1894.

German-Swiss painter Roederstein (1859-1937) was a trailblazer in many ways; it was not the done thing for women in central Europe to receive education and training in art, and yet she went for it. She was inspired when a portrait artist did some paintings of her family; she ended up being apprenticed to him for a while, but quickly exceeded him in skill and talent.

She led an unconventional and self-directed life, and achieved success as a portrait artist, exhibiting all over Europe and receiving many commissions. She was known for her precise, realistic style, and strong depictions of women.

She and her longtime partner Dr. Elisabeth Winterhalter founded Frankfurt's first school for girls, and was an outspoken supporter of education and independence for women.

The red beret here was a bit unusual for women at that time, but Roederstein was always unconventional. Painter Gwen John, who sat for her, was fascinated at how Roederstein wore a jacket, vest, and fob watch while she worked!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.

#Art #OttilieRoederstein #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #WomensHistory #QueerHistory

"Self-Portrait with a Red Cap," Ottilie Roederstein, 1894.

German-Swiss painter Roederstein (1859-1937) was a trailblazer in many ways; it was not the done thing for women in central Europe to receive education and training in art, and yet she went for it. She was inspired when a portrait artist did some paintings of her family; she ended up being apprenticed to him for a while, but quickly exceeded him in skill and talent.

She led an unconventional and self-directed life, and achieved success as a portrait artist, exhibiting all over Europe and receiving many commissions. She was known for her precise, realistic style, and strong depictions of women.

She and her longtime partner Dr. Elisabeth Winterhalter founded Frankfurt's first school for girls, and was an outspoken supporter of education and independence for women.

The red beret here was a bit unusual for women at that time, but Roederstein was always unconventional. Painter Gwen John, who sat for her, was fascinated at how Roederstein wore a jacket, vest, and fob watch while she worked!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.

#Art #OttilieRoederstein #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #WomensHistory #QueerHistory

"Self-Portrait with a Red Cap," Ottilie Roederstein, 1894.

German-Swiss painter Roederstein (1859-1937) was a trailblazer in many ways; it was not the done thing for women in central Europe to receive education and training in art, and yet she went for it. She was inspired when a portrait artist did some paintings of her family; she ended up being apprenticed to him for a while, but quickly exceeded him in skill and talent.

She led an unconventional and self-directed life, and achieved success as a portrait artist, exhibiting all over Europe and receiving many commissions. She was known for her precise, realistic style, and strong depictions of women.

She and her longtime partner Dr. Elisabeth Winterhalter founded Frankfurt's first school for girls, and was an outspoken supporter of education and independence for women.

The red beret here was a bit unusual for women at that time, but Roederstein was always unconventional. Painter Gwen John, who sat for her, was fascinated at how Roederstein wore a jacket, vest, and fob watch while she worked!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.

#Art #OttilieRoederstein #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #WomensHistory #QueerHistory

"Self-Portrait with a Red Cap," Ottilie Roederstein, 1894.

German-Swiss painter Roederstein (1859-1937) was a trailblazer in many ways; it was not the done thing for women in central Europe to receive education and training in art, and yet she went for it. She was inspired when a portrait artist did some paintings of her family; she ended up being apprenticed to him for a while, but quickly exceeded him in skill and talent.

She led an unconventional and self-directed life, and achieved success as a portrait artist, exhibiting all over Europe and receiving many commissions. She was known for her precise, realistic style, and strong depictions of women.

She and her longtime partner Dr. Elisabeth Winterhalter founded Frankfurt's first school for girls, and was an outspoken supporter of education and independence for women.

The red beret here was a bit unusual for women at that time, but Roederstein was always unconventional. Painter Gwen John, who sat for her, was fascinated at how Roederstein wore a jacket, vest, and fob watch while she worked!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.

#Art #OttilieRoederstein #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #WomensHistory #QueerHistory

"Self-Portrait with a Red Cap," Ottilie Roederstein, 1894.

German-Swiss painter Roederstein (1859-1937) was a trailblazer in many ways; it was not the done thing for women in central Europe to receive education and training in art, and yet she went for it. She was inspired when a portrait artist did some paintings of her family; she ended up being apprenticed to him for a while, but quickly exceeded him in skill and talent.

She led an unconventional and self-directed life, and achieved success as a portrait artist, exhibiting all over Europe and receiving many commissions. She was known for her precise, realistic style, and strong depictions of women.

She and her longtime partner Dr. Elisabeth Winterhalter founded Frankfurt's first school for girls, and was an outspoken supporter of education and independence for women.

The red beret here was a bit unusual for women at that time, but Roederstein was always unconventional. Painter Gwen John, who sat for her, was fascinated at how Roederstein wore a jacket, vest, and fob watch while she worked!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.

#Art #OttilieRoederstein #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #WomensHistory #QueerHistory

"Portrait of Albert Paris von Gütersloh," Egon Schiele, 1918.

Schiele (1890-1918) was an Austrian artist and an early example of Expressionism. He had a difficult early life, including a father dying of syphilis, leaving the family in dire poverty. He became known for his portraits that often featured bizarre coloring and twisted, unhealthy-looking bodies.

I often find his work off-putting, but sometimes it's dramatic and works, such as this one, unfinished at his death (only 28, from the Spanish flu).

Von Gütersloh (1887-1973) was a close friend of Schiele. He started off as an actor, director, and set designer, but later shifted into painting and writing, including an article that raised Schiele's profile in the art world. Von Gütersloh himself was to become a leader of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement that started in the 40s.

His intense gaze, and the hands that both repel and beckon, or perhaps are conducting an orchestra, make this a memorable portrait.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Minneapolis Museum of Art.

#Art #EgonSchiele #Expressionism #AlbertParisVonGutersloh #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Albert Paris von Gütersloh," Egon Schiele, 1918.

Schiele (1890-1918) was an Austrian artist and an early example of Expressionism. He had a difficult early life, including a father dying of syphilis, leaving the family in dire poverty. He became known for his portraits that often featured bizarre coloring and twisted, unhealthy-looking bodies.

I often find his work off-putting, but sometimes it's dramatic and works, such as this one, unfinished at his death (only 28, from the Spanish flu).

Von Gütersloh (1887-1973) was a close friend of Schiele. He started off as an actor, director, and set designer, but later shifted into painting and writing, including an article that raised Schiele's profile in the art world. Von Gütersloh himself was to become a leader of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement that started in the 40s.

His intense gaze, and the hands that both repel and beckon, or perhaps are conducting an orchestra, make this a memorable portrait.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Minneapolis Museum of Art.

#Art #EgonSchiele #Expressionism #AlbertParisVonGutersloh #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Albert Paris von Gütersloh," Egon Schiele, 1918.

Schiele (1890-1918) was an Austrian artist and an early example of Expressionism. He had a difficult early life, including a father dying of syphilis, leaving the family in dire poverty. He became known for his portraits that often featured bizarre coloring and twisted, unhealthy-looking bodies.

I often find his work off-putting, but sometimes it's dramatic and works, such as this one, unfinished at his death (only 28, from the Spanish flu).

Von Gütersloh (1887-1973) was a close friend of Schiele. He started off as an actor, director, and set designer, but later shifted into painting and writing, including an article that raised Schiele's profile in the art world. Von Gütersloh himself was to become a leader of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement that started in the 40s.

His intense gaze, and the hands that both repel and beckon, or perhaps are conducting an orchestra, make this a memorable portrait.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Minneapolis Museum of Art.

#Art #EgonSchiele #Expressionism #AlbertParisVonGutersloh #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Albert Paris von Gütersloh," Egon Schiele, 1918.

Schiele (1890-1918) was an Austrian artist and an early example of Expressionism. He had a difficult early life, including a father dying of syphilis, leaving the family in dire poverty. He became known for his portraits that often featured bizarre coloring and twisted, unhealthy-looking bodies.

I often find his work off-putting, but sometimes it's dramatic and works, such as this one, unfinished at his death (only 28, from the Spanish flu).

Von Gütersloh (1887-1973) was a close friend of Schiele. He started off as an actor, director, and set designer, but later shifted into painting and writing, including an article that raised Schiele's profile in the art world. Von Gütersloh himself was to become a leader of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement that started in the 40s.

His intense gaze, and the hands that both repel and beckon, or perhaps are conducting an orchestra, make this a memorable portrait.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Minneapolis Museum of Art.

#Art #EgonSchiele #Expressionism #AlbertParisVonGutersloh #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Albert Paris von Gütersloh," Egon Schiele, 1918.

Schiele (1890-1918) was an Austrian artist and an early example of Expressionism. He had a difficult early life, including a father dying of syphilis, leaving the family in dire poverty. He became known for his portraits that often featured bizarre coloring and twisted, unhealthy-looking bodies.

I often find his work off-putting, but sometimes it's dramatic and works, such as this one, unfinished at his death (only 28, from the Spanish flu).

Von Gütersloh (1887-1973) was a close friend of Schiele. He started off as an actor, director, and set designer, but later shifted into painting and writing, including an article that raised Schiele's profile in the art world. Von Gütersloh himself was to become a leader of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an art movement that started in the 40s.

His intense gaze, and the hands that both repel and beckon, or perhaps are conducting an orchestra, make this a memorable portrait.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Minneapolis Museum of Art.

#Art #EgonSchiele #Expressionism #AlbertParisVonGutersloh #PortraitMonday

"Glen Byam Shaw as Laertes," Glyn Philpot, 1934-5.

British portraitist Philpot (1884-1937) had a comfortable life from his work, doing only a handful of commissions a year, but was paid well which allowed him to travel around Europe and further his artistic education.

Shaw (1904-1986) was a great British actor and director, who had a successful creative partnership with his friend John Gielgud. Shaw was mostly noted for his work in theater until the 1960s, when he shifted to directing opera with great success.

This portrait seems to be from a famous version of "Hamlet" that Shaw appeared in as Laertes, with John Gielgud in the title role. A letter from Philpot to Shaw indicates that Philpot had quite the crush on him....but Shaw was very happily and devotedly married to actress Angela Baddely, who became known mostly for her work on TV, including "Upstairs Downstairs."

Kind of looks like Vincent Price, doesn't he?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #GlynPhilpot #PortraitMonday #GlenByamShaw #AngelaBaddeley #Laertes #Drama #ManCrush

"Glen Byam Shaw as Laertes," Glyn Philpot, 1934-5.

British portraitist Philpot (1884-1937) had a comfortable life from his work, doing only a handful of commissions a year, but was paid well which allowed him to travel around Europe and further his artistic education.

Shaw (1904-1986) was a great British actor and director, who had a successful creative partnership with his friend John Gielgud. Shaw was mostly noted for his work in theater until the 1960s, when he shifted to directing opera with great success.

This portrait seems to be from a famous version of "Hamlet" that Shaw appeared in as Laertes, with John Gielgud in the title role. A letter from Philpot to Shaw indicates that Philpot had quite the crush on him....but Shaw was very happily and devotedly married to actress Angela Baddely, who became known mostly for her work on TV, including "Upstairs Downstairs."

Kind of looks like Vincent Price, doesn't he?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #GlynPhilpot #PortraitMonday #GlenByamShaw #AngelaBaddeley #Laertes #Drama #ManCrush

"Glen Byam Shaw as Laertes," Glyn Philpot, 1934-5.

British portraitist Philpot (1884-1937) had a comfortable life from his work, doing only a handful of commissions a year, but was paid well which allowed him to travel around Europe and further his artistic education.

Shaw (1904-1986) was a great British actor and director, who had a successful creative partnership with his friend John Gielgud. Shaw was mostly noted for his work in theater until the 1960s, when he shifted to directing opera with great success.

This portrait seems to be from a famous version of "Hamlet" that Shaw appeared in as Laertes, with John Gielgud in the title role. A letter from Philpot to Shaw indicates that Philpot had quite the crush on him....but Shaw was very happily and devotedly married to actress Angela Baddely, who became known mostly for her work on TV, including "Upstairs Downstairs."

Kind of looks like Vincent Price, doesn't he?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #GlynPhilpot #PortraitMonday #GlenByamShaw #AngelaBaddeley #Laertes #Drama #ManCrush

"Glen Byam Shaw as Laertes," Glyn Philpot, 1934-5.

British portraitist Philpot (1884-1937) had a comfortable life from his work, doing only a handful of commissions a year, but was paid well which allowed him to travel around Europe and further his artistic education.

Shaw (1904-1986) was a great British actor and director, who had a successful creative partnership with his friend John Gielgud. Shaw was mostly noted for his work in theater until the 1960s, when he shifted to directing opera with great success.

This portrait seems to be from a famous version of "Hamlet" that Shaw appeared in as Laertes, with John Gielgud in the title role. A letter from Philpot to Shaw indicates that Philpot had quite the crush on him....but Shaw was very happily and devotedly married to actress Angela Baddely, who became known mostly for her work on TV, including "Upstairs Downstairs."

Kind of looks like Vincent Price, doesn't he?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #GlynPhilpot #PortraitMonday #GlenByamShaw #AngelaBaddeley #Laertes #Drama #ManCrush

"Glen Byam Shaw as Laertes," Glyn Philpot, 1934-5.

British portraitist Philpot (1884-1937) had a comfortable life from his work, doing only a handful of commissions a year, but was paid well which allowed him to travel around Europe and further his artistic education.

Shaw (1904-1986) was a great British actor and director, who had a successful creative partnership with his friend John Gielgud. Shaw was mostly noted for his work in theater until the 1960s, when he shifted to directing opera with great success.

This portrait seems to be from a famous version of "Hamlet" that Shaw appeared in as Laertes, with John Gielgud in the title role. A letter from Philpot to Shaw indicates that Philpot had quite the crush on him....but Shaw was very happily and devotedly married to actress Angela Baddely, who became known mostly for her work on TV, including "Upstairs Downstairs."

Kind of looks like Vincent Price, doesn't he?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #GlynPhilpot #PortraitMonday #GlenByamShaw #AngelaBaddeley #Laertes #Drama #ManCrush

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday