The Meaning of Cows

Landscapes provide frameworks for the imagination. When a certain type of landscape which we grew up seeing “reminds us of home,” that type of landscape has shaped our imagination to associate the qualities of home with a particular visual experience. Landscape paintings give frameworks for a viewer’s imagination apart from memory, and are therefore able to broaden the ways in which we think, even apart from personal experience.

This exhibition features landscapes which represent ideas of how the world works, portray imagined worlds, or provide space and context for narrative. Koninck participates in the body of 17th century Dutch landscape painting, the typology of which has significantly shaped Western imagination— both in terms of visual language and the cultural “norm” of a flourishing local economy as the basis for larger society. Gahō’s use of landscape similarly expresses cultural values, in this case of balance, interconnectedness and amiably hierarchy. Singh also employs landscape to probe the nature of the world in India’s modernized yet deeply religious society. [Pilement] creates a narrative space with his landscape, giving the viewer an imagined context for the imagined story. Turner depicts an idyllic landscape idealizing the picturesque in a dream of a simpler, happier world. Finally, Mauve, another Dutch painter, shows an insipid yet fertile landscape where the meaning is created by those who dwell in and utilize the land.

What unites each of these works is the presence of cows, helping the viewer to interpret the landscape. The cows in these paintings play various roles, each congruent with the function of the landscape. Cows are of characters in a narrative space, religious iconography in a modern era, agents in a placid world, and a part of the whole economy. These roles inform the landscape they inhabit, and define what framework the landscape invokes in the viewer’s imagination.

Philips Koninck, Wide River Landscape, ca. 1648–49Oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 63.43.2

A small herd of cows graze and lounge in a field—one that they are obviously at home in. If you look closely, you can see a person milking one of the cows. These bovine apparently belong to a family farm where they are cared for and where they contribute their own part toward the well-being of the whole farm. The sense of belonging and economic productivity of the cows pervades the entire landscape. Each item set in the scene seems to be a valid, even appreciated, part of a wholesome world of Dutch economy.

Hashimoto Gahō, Boy with Cow at the River’s Edge, Meiji period (1868–1912)
Album leaf; ink and color on silk, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 14.76.61.49

A boy and a cow walk together. Though the boy is carrying a harness attached to the cow’s nose, the rope is slack, so that the boy is not so much leading the cow as simply walking alongside, one with the other. The boy glances back and up toward the birds; the cow seems to be eye-balling her next step on the bank of the river. The relationship between cow and boy features prominently in the composition, but also extends to our perception of the landscape as well. Each element relates to every other through a network of organic connections.

Raghubir Singh, A Siva Image and a Cow, by the Ganges River, Calcutta, 1988 (printed 1991)
Chromogenic print, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991.1284

A white cow stands tethered to a pole, gazing directly at the viewer. Behind the cow lies a riverscape of the Ganges in Calcutta (according to the photo’s title) with an image of Siva and bathers in the distance. The large statue, the Ganges River with its bathers and the cow all carry religious significance for Indian Hinduism. Singh’s landscape, like the cow, becomes a dual-nature of apparent realism and embedded symbolism.

Attributed to Jean Pilement, Cows and a Goat in a Landscape, 1774
Gray, brown and white gouache, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 65.42

Three cows walk away though one pauses to throw back a dirty look at a preoccupied goat. Regardless of the content of what’s happening here, this painting obviously tells a story. These cows are neither props nor symbols but characters. Because of the posture of the cows, and especially the white cow’s gaze, the landscape becomes a narrative space. Rather than implying a larger world reality, this landscape gives just enough information for the story it contains.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, River Wye (Liber Studiorum, part X, plate 48), May 23, 1812
Engraving, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 28.97.48

Four large cows and a horse occupy the bank of a river where men swim under the prospect of a ruined castle. In the context of Britain’s industrial revolution, cows become reminiscent of an idealized past, the simpler agrarian economy. A glowing, almost eerie, backlighting pervades the composition and the whole scene becomes an idyllic world of pleasure, beauty and interest. These cows do not possess the same sense of natural belonging as those of Wide River Landscape¸ but instead seem placed intentionally in this scene, as if to make a point about their role in Turner’s ideal world.

Anton Mauve, Changing Pasture, ca. 1880s,
Oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 14.40.810

Two cows plod in front of the cowherd down a muddy country path. The three figures are the only points of interest in the flat grassland. The road, created by use rather than for it, is the primary feature in an otherwise directionless land. This landscape, wet and green as it is, is completely defined by the cows and cowherd. These cows travel through a world where they are the agents following the road already taken.

American Details

Aften Whitmore

American Details

           Much like Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, “Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue,” the selected paintings are all about America. They are all from different time periods, but they all exemplify America and it’s strengths in different ways. Some are abstract, some naturalistic, however, they are all showing the pride of American history in one way or another. Georgia O’Keeffe exemplified America in a very abstract way, however, despite the “unclearness” of the painting, what is evident is the strength in the country it represents. Further than just these artworks being American, there is a strong emphasis on the details that make up a complex country. The details are the most important part of what comprise a whole America. Wether it be a cow’s skull, a slice of cake, a faceless woman, or just color, these are the things that make up our country. The following artists exemplify just this idea: 

"Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue" Georgia O'Keeffe, 1931

Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Oil on Canvas 

“Three Flags” Jasper Johns, 1958, AN 80.34

Whitney Museum of Art

Wax and pigment

http://collection.whitney.org/object/1060

It is no secret what country Johns is representing here. It is very evidently the American flag. Johns took the American flag and explored the detail of the flag itself because not many people pay attention to the detail. Typically it is seen as a whole and not individual pieces. In this piece he discovers the importance of the details, showing not only that America is strong, but America is complex. He said the American flag was “seen and looked at, not examined.” Which is exactly what he toys with in this piece. This ties in really well with Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Cow’s Skull” because she played with the detail of a skull to indicate the details of America. A skull is a detail of a larger concept. Both Johns and O’Keeffe display the importance of details that comprise a whole, the whole being America.

“President Elect” James Rosenquist, 1960-1961, AN 27741(?)

Centre Georges Pompidou

Oil on masonite

This painting is done almost as a collage, so there is a sense of abstraction to the piece, which ties in with Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Cow’s Skull” as well. There is a strong sense of red, white and blue in this painting along with very American symbols/icons. There is the subject of former president John F. Kennedy and a red chevy and cake. These are all objects of Americanism of the time, which would indicate again, there are details that are of importance in the complexity of American life. These are all things we would recognize as American by just looking at them with no context. But put them all together and there is no question this theme is very Americanized. 

“Barack Obama/Hope” Shepard Fairey, 2008 AN (?) 

National Portrait Gallery

Mixed media, stencil collage

This artwork is evidently an American poster. It is a portrait of President Barack Obama. This artwork was made within the last 8 years, so it is relatively new. However, I think this particular piece is a great addition to this collection because it has a heavy emphasis on the colors red, white and blue, which tie in really well with the theme Georgia O’Keeffe initiated. Someone unfamiliar with Barack Obama would have a better understanding that the piece is representing America is indicated by the red white and blue. 

“Christina’s World” Andrew Newell Wyeth, 1948, AN 16.1949

The Museum of Modern Art 

Tempera on panel

This one is kind of a stretch, but I think it does tie in really well with the fact that America struggles. Americans struggle and fight through communal and individual pain. This woman in particular, is battling polio and is depicted on the ground struggling. There is a very detailed landscape in the background showing the American soil. This is another detail that ties in with the addition to complex America. It does not outright show strength almost masculine power, but it shows the strength of a weakened woman who struggles daily. This artwork is one that looks visually very different from the former pieces, but it is the strongest argument for America’s strength. 

“Brooklyn Bridge” Joseph Stella, 1919-1920

Yale University Art Gallery

Painting - oil on canvas

This piece is an abstraction by Joseph Stella. It is a representation of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. This piece is a little off kilter from the rest of the chosen selections. Not only is it a detail of America in itself, it is strategically designed to show the detail of the bridge. This is another piece of architecture that makes America what it is. Bridges are iconic constructs, especially in big cities like New York City. They are easily recognizable, even through the abstraction and because it is a New York piece, it is very American. It is iconically a detail in the fabric of America, wether it automatically translates that way or not, to its core, it is a vital piece of the growth of our country. 

Dimensions in Cubism

 The study of dimensions, or planes, extends into geometry, topology, metaphysics, physics, and in today’s specific case, art. Defined as:  “a magnitude that, independently or in conjunction with other such magnitudes, serves to define the location of an element within a given set, as of a point on a line, an object in a space, or an event in space-time”, dimensions are essential to understanding and interpreting space. Space can be represented in several ways. Whether it be a tangible, physical, or materialistic representation of a space, or an intangible, abstract, metaphysical representation of space, it exists. Seen or unseen, it is filled and defined by different dimensions. In this particular collection of paintings and drawings, we perceive several different dimensions and planes occurring on two dimensional picture planes, yet only physically implied through either brush stroke or pencil. In such an occurrence, the historic period of art known as cubism was brought into existence.

            Cubism was first founded and created in Paris by the French artist, Georges Braque and his friend, a Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso during the early twentieth century. In an act of defiance against the popular belief that art should copy nature, Braque and Picasso, began creating works that rejected such traditionally and widely accepted concepts of perspective, shadow, or foreshortening.

            This commenced the birth of a new visual language in art that continues to be celebrated and known as a means of understanding space that is trademarked by the spacial conversation it creates creates through implied dimensions and planes within a said space.  Emphasizing the two dimensionality of the canvas, Cubism exaggerates and abstracts objects into fragments, planes, and distorts the viewer’s sense of understandable space made within the borders of the canvas. In these works, we see how artists continue to follow the multiple sub-styles made after Cubism, and their similar technique of leading the viewer through its irrational composition and its physical and metaphysical dimensions into a new sense of space.

The Studio (Vase before a Window)

In Georges Braque’s The Studio (Vase before a Window), Oil mixed with sand on canvas, 1939, Braque brings elements of something similar to a puzzle, or collage, in the abstraction of this painting of his studio. Creating a narrative through the expression of opposing dimensions and planes, the viewer is taken into a new sense of space that is not necessarily rational, but a new sense of space is experienced, nonetheless.  Braque renders the forms in this piece in such a way that when closely observed, they are structurally irrational. Braque creates this still life closely following the themes commonly found and created in Cubism by rejecting the traditional concepts of perspective and art copying nature by the juxtaposition and contortion of the objects in his painting.

(Accession Number: 1993.400.6)

The Café Terrace

In this piece, The Café Terrace, by artist Diego Rivera, 1915, Oil on canvas, several non-cohesive planes occur that fall into the category of cubism. This piece successfully leads the viewer through its composition into a new sense of space, primarily physically. The viewer is put in front of the canvas looking at a still life of a bottle interacting with a table suggesting the bottle is resting on the table, however the dimensions implied by the artist tell the viewer this space is irrational. Also implied is another dimension, the intangible kind. Referenced in this painting, is a camouflage tablecloth, and a powerful drink that both directly reference themes found in WWI.

Accession Number: 49.70.51 

Hammamet with Its Mosque

In this painting, Hammamet with Its Mosque, Artist: Paul Klee, 1914, Watercolor and graphite on paper mounted on cardboard, a new medium of watercolor references the same style, or expression of space as most cubist pieces do as well. Interpreted into different geometric shapes and varying colors, this painting leads its viewer through its composition in a non-traditional manner. Reading this piece by its use of color is pertinent to interpreting this space well since it has less dimensionality due to its flat medium, unlike other cubist pieces in this collection.

Accession Number: 1984.315.4

Checkerboard and Playing Cards

The artist Juan Gris, paints this piece in Paris, during 1915 on cream-colored woven paper mounted to paperboard with gouache, graphite, and resin. In this painting, popular Cubist themes appear such as dice, newspaper, and liquor. Set up in a perplexing planar composition, understanding this piece and its visual language can be approached as other paintings in this collection. Made with the intent of emphasizing the two dimensionality of the canvas and the multiple incoherent dimensions implied within this still life, we can understand this space in the category of cubism.

Bottle and Wine Glass on a Table

The artist Pablo Picasso, creates this piece in 1912 out of charcoal, ink, cut and pasted newspaper, and graphite on paper. Here we see one of the founders of Cubism translate space in a simple, clean way involving a medium not yet seen in this collection. Yet again, we see similar reoccurring themes of cubism in the technique of collage, referenced by the newspaper we see in this piece that makes up part of the bottle. Several different planes that are observed to be interacting with several different implied dimensions, yet cohesively emphasizing the two dimensionality of the paper at the same time. An aspect we see occur in all of this collection, and an aspect that challenges the viewers sense of understood space and makes the viewer see and think in several different dimensions, whether implied or physically stated.

Accession Number: 49.70.33

Nature as Divine Iconography

Art often seeks to answer the big questions of the human experience in ways that words cannot. The great communicative power of art enables artists to make statements about human life and death, and God. As a result, a great deal of art provides insight into the artist's view of the nature of God and how God relates to humans. A quick survey of art by several artists from different worldviews and cultural contexts reveals as many philosophies of deity as there are works to study. This survey also reveals a common cross-cultural and timeless iconography that artists use to communicate these philosophies. It seems likely that this iconography is often used as a matter of course, and perhaps sometimes even evades the detection of the artist. In general, natural elements seem to serve as a stand-in for deity, and human works or humans themselves represent humanity. The philosophy of the artist (and his/her culture) can be derived from the relationship between humanity and nature shown in the art. This may seem straightforward, but as you will see in this exhibition, many different gods are represented by nature, and many different relationships are represented by the posture that humans take towards the natural world.

Asher Brown Durand, Landscape—Scene from "Thanatopsis," 1850

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11.156

Asher Durand’s Scene from “Thanatopsis”  is packed with points of interaction between nature and humanity. At first glance, the scene seems to be completely dominated by natural elements, but upon closer observation, the viewer notices a shepherd, a burial, tombstones, a skull, a cathedral, and a castle. Each of these things is completely dwarfed by the majesty of the nature that surrounds it. In this painting, nature is the master of all things human, and therefore takes the place of God. A human living in Asher B. Durand’s world is best off trying to coexist with nature, while being at peace with the fact that it will ultimately claim even the greatest of human works. 

John Frederick Kensett, Lake George, 1869

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15.30.61

John Frederick Kensett, another member of the Hudson River School, has a slightly more peaceful conception of nature as a deity. Once again, at first glance the painting appears completely dominated by nature. Actually, there is one point of interaction between humanity and nature in this painting. Just below the most prominent Island, there is a human (perhaps a Native American) in a canoe, literally overshadowed by the visual weight of the island. Kensett depicts humanity in harmony with nature. Nature is still deified, but this human is not trying to impose his or her will on nature. 

Claude Monet, Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867

 Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 67.241

Monet has a significantly different perspective. In his painting Garden at Sainte-Adresse, Monet depicts humanity as the master of nature. This could be interpreted in several ways. Monet was a Catholic, and the 1860s were a time of crisis for Catholics, as conflict in Italy threatened the Pope’s political power. Because Monet was painting during a time of innovation and technological advancement, it is possible that in this painting Monet is demonstrating the mastery of man over God, or the lack of God as a necessity in his modern time. All nature in the painting is controlled and utilized for the benefit and pleasure of humanity.

John Constable, Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds, 1825

Oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 50.145.8

John Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds depicts a pastoral scene outside of a cathedral. This painting shows God and humanity in symbiosis. The natural foreground of trees and cows provides its blessing to the cathedral by acting as a visual frame. The cathedral, a work of man, is honoring to God by the nature of its purpose. Each of these two elements complements the other. The humans in the scene are depicted as being outside observers of this symbiosis, much like the viewer. There is a sense in which it seems that these humans view themselves as responsible for the harmony. This seems congruent with the optimistic content of the painting, as in all likelihood, this is not an reliable depiction of what life in 1825 was like for most people. Perhaps like Monet, Constable places too much credit on the shoulders of humanity. 

Caspar David Friedrich, Eastern Coast of Rügen Island with Shepherd, 1805-6

Sepia colored ink, sepia colored wash, white gouache and graphite on off-white wove paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.260

Caspar Friedrich seems to be ahead of his time, as his conception of the relationship between God and man is strongly reminiscent of the Hudson River School painters. In Eastern Coast of Rugen Island with Shepherd, Friedrich depicts a human who recognizes the authority of God (nature) by living in accordance with nature, rather than trying to impose his will on it. The scene is dominated by a natural landscape. A shepherd and his dog stand in the scene. No other signs of human impact are depicted, other than perhaps some tilled farmland on the right side of the work. Close observation reveals the existence of a single sheep on the left side of the work. It seems odd that this shepherd and dog have only one sheep to watch, unless you consider that this is a part of the conceptual submission of the farmer to nature.

Osservanza Master, Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, 15th century

Tempera and gold on wood, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.1.27

Even in much older works, the interaction between humanity and nature proves important in understanding the artist's understanding of God. In the case of Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, even the title is important. In the Bible, prophets often retreat into the wilderness to develop a closer connection with God. Here, St. Anthony is seen as deriving some of his piety from his isolation and his decision to be in the wilderness. In addition, humanity and nature are seen to be in symbiosis, much like in Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds. St. Anthony has retreated into the wilderness, but the church is not far behind him, and is in harmony with its surroundings. 

Wu Bin, The Sixteen Luohans, 1583–1626

 Handscroll; ink and color on paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986.266.4

In The Sixteen Luohans, Wu Bin unsurprisingly conveys the most unique relationship between God and humanity. If we understand nature to represent God, then nature is bestowing deity in this painting. The narrative of the painting seems to be that the standing figure has come to consult with the seated figure. Consider what the painting would look like without the tree which frames the seated figure. Without the tree, the seated figure loses his authority, and (through that loss) his connection to deity.

Portraits of Women: The Significance of The Gaze

Portraits of Women: The Significance of The Gaze
Maddy Busch

Madame X, by John Singer Sargent. 1883-1884. Oil on canvas. 16.53

What is remarkably striking about the portrait of Madame X is the subject’s capability to demand attention from the viewer, without directly addressing them with her gaze. Her presence is, in a sense, gazing at you. She seems to be a person of importance, very aware of herself and conscious of her physical presence in a space. Though she does not recognize the viewer personally with a visual gaze, she is quite aware that we are looking at her.  She knows that she is the subject, is well accustomed to being the object of the gaze, and presents herself accordingly. Madame X is a woman presenting the viewer with a sense of bold sexuality and her particular awareness of self in relation to them. This portrait is remarkable because usually this exchange of attention, or mutual recognition, is attained through eye contact made between audience and the subject.

This can be seen throughout art history. Portraits of women making direct eye contact demand our attention. It allows for the communication of sexuality, state of mind, disposition, etc. The viewer sees that they are being addressed by the artwork, and in turn feel the push to address them in return. This mutual acknowledgement of presence causes massive emotional potential in that it stirs up a particular type of connection between the audience and the subject.

Sitting Woman With Legs Drawn Up, by Egon Shiele. 1917. Gouache, Watercolor, and Black Crayon. Narodni Galeri.

  

            This portrait by Egon Shiele is of his wife, Edith Harms. It exemplifies how powerful the gaze can be, and the emotional connection that is made because of that mutual recognition between subject and audience. Her expression is confrontational and complex. The work is striking in many ways, but the expression in her face is endlessly engaging. This drawing has been and continues to be interpreted in a multitude of ways. For example: her posture could either be physically/emotionally defensive, or possibly open and personal. Like Madame X, there is an undeniable sexuality in this portrait. There is, however, a difference in the sexuality presented in this portrait than in Sargent’s portrait of Madame X. This woman is vulnerable, where Madame X seems untouchable.

Portrait of a Woman, by Gustav Klimt. 1916-1917. Oil on canvas. Stolen from the Ricci-Oddi gallery in Piacenza in February 1997.

           

Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of a Woman is a gorgeous example of the female gaze in portrait painting. Contrasting Shiele’s Sitting Woman With Legs Drawn Up, the gaze presented here has certain feeling of gentleness and softness. This woman seems to trust the viewer. She is casting her eyes upon you not with contempt or fear, but with a soft half-smile. She subtly communicates a sense of happiness with the audience. The connection made here creates a more personal, affectionate exchange with the subject. 

Olympia, by Edouard Manet. 1863. Oil on Canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Works in Focus.

            Olympia’s gaze is quite infamous. At the time of its debut, the standard female nude was present in a painting to be observed comfortably, without any eye contact to make the viewer feel awkward, or as if there was a personal exchange happening between themselves and the nude figure. Manet’s Olympia broke that standard and defied expectations. The subject of this painting, a courtesan, holds the viewer’s gaze with a certain pride. It’s almost as if she is aware of the expectation she has broken, but she really doesn’t seem to care. She is not in the business of making the viewer feel at ease about her blatant sexuality.

Head of a Woman, by Pablo Picasso. 1903. Oil on canvas. 67.187.91

            This portrait of a woman from Picasso’s blue period focuses on the eyes of the subject. Their size and expressive nature create a significant amount of intrigue. Her eyes are dynamic, seductive, and capable of grabbing and holding the attention of the audience. She is looking at you, while you look at her. This connection enables a particular type of emotional response. Unlike Olympia, this woman has no symbolism in her surroundings. She is the only content presented. She, in her unadorned state, creates the meaning without the aid of symbolism or cultural cues.

Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer. 1665. Oil on canvas. The Hague.

            Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring is one of the most well know and powerful portraits that employs the female gaze. It has been the subject of many years of speculation, research, and artistic adaption. It holds an important place in culture because of its powerful suggested narrative. The viewer is engaged through eye contact, and this causes questions to be asked about this woman and her story. Like Klimt’s Portrait of a Woman, the gaze of the subject is personal. It is, however more guarded. The figure’s posture implies that she is closed, while her over-the-shoulder glance creates a connection and calls attention to the exchange happening between subject and viewer.

Morisot: “An Interesting Spectacle”

The unusual relationship between Édouard Manet and fellow artist and model Berthe Morisot has been an object of speculation throughout the years. Introduced through a mutual friend, the two were immediately charmed by one another and a close friendship soon followed. Even though Manet was married to Suzanne Leenhoff and Morisot was the wife of his younger brother Edmund, Morisot frequently sat for portraits and the two collaborated closely on artistic ideas.  Manet would often help Morisot with her work, while she would give advice on his pieces. This close relationship has often been speculated to be an affair by historians, but there is no actual evidence to support this. Nevertheless, Manet’s intimate relationship with Morisot is one of significance because of the contrast between Morisot and Manet’s other models. Manet painted many women including students, his wife, and aristocracy, but Morisot’s portraits are strikingly different. Her dark features are heightened to beckon the viewer into her space while the detailed but shrouded brushstrokes create an aura of the unknown. There is also a sensual depth found in Manet’s portrayals of Morisot that is lacking in his other portraits. Édouard Manet seems to see Morisot as his entrancing equal, a model above the rest.  

 Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1830–1906) at Bellevue

Artist: Édouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris)

Date: 1880

Medium: Oil on canvas

Accession Number: 1997.391.4

Manet depicts his wife, Suzanne, against a green garden in cream and navy. Her profile is obscured by the brim of her hat and what we can see of her face looks stoic. This painting is one of the five portraits of his wife and the last one he did before he died. The artist’s rough brushwork seems to display a lack of attention to detail while her hidden face fails to create an emotional connection. The painting is overall pleasing to the eye, but lacks the warmth that one would think to see in a portrait of the artist’s wife. 

Young Lady in 1866

Artist: Édouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris)

Date: 1866

Medium: Oil on canvas

Accession Number: 89.21.3

Victorine Muerent is painted here in a light, pink dressing gown gazing demurely out of the frame. Also a talented artist, Muerent modeled for Manet several times and was the subject of his notorious Olympia. This painting contrasts with that of the brazen Olympia and Manet’s portrait of Morisot with its soft color palette and Muerent’s mild face and form. It also portrays Muerent as feminine subject for the viewers consumption rather than an portrayal of a fellow artist.

Women with Fans

Artist: Édouard Manet 

Date: 1873

Medium: Oil on canvas

Accession Number/Location: Musée d’Orsay

This portrait of Nina de Callias echoes the focused painting of this exhibition. While Morisot and Callias are both reclining in black gowns, the latter is surrounded by a wall of gold fans. Callias is also more heavily adorned in gold and feathers creating a sense of heaviness, also seen in her tired expression and hand placement. The color palette of the piece also lacks the warmth found in Morisot’s portrait. Although the two paintings are similar, one can see the vivacious warmth that describes Morisot portrait is lacking in this one.

Eva Gonzalés

Artist: Édouard Manet

Date: 1870

Medium: Oil on canvas

Accession Number or Location: National Gallery; Sainsbury Wing Exhibition 

Eva Gonzalés entered into Manet’s studio as a student and model during the early stages of Morisot and Manet’s friendship. Morisot, at times, felt threatened by Gonzalés presence in Manet’s studio and looked to be her superior. In this portrait Gonzalés is depicted at her easel in a white muslin dress and dark ribbon, similar to the dress that Berthe Morisot wears in The Balcony. While Morisot appears pensive and youthful in The Balcony, Gonzalés seems rigid and solemn. Her face is defined but dull and slightly flaccid, lacking a sense of life that is found in Morisot’s eyes. This painting seems to suggest that Gonzalés was, indeed, inferior to Morisot’s charms. 

The Balcony 

Artist: Édouard Manet

Date: 1868-1869

Medium: Oil on canvas

Accession Number/Location: Musée d’Orsay

This painting marks the beginning of Morisot and Manet’s friendship. Even at this early stage in their relationship Morisot receives careful attention to her painted figure. Her face and body stands in bold contrast the other woman portrayed, Antoine Guillemet. Morisot’s piercing eyes glimmer while Guillemet’s eyes are subtle smudges on her face. Morisot’s eyes seem to reflect Manet’s admiration and respect for his model. In Manet’s portraits of Morisot, he paints her eyes in a way that captures and contains the viewers, maybe in the same way she captured Manet’s attention.