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.