The Form and Movement of Women

    Throughout history, the way that women are depicted has changed many times. These shifts in the representation of women are related to the ideals of the culture surrounding art, rather than being from the perspective of the artist alone. Women have been viewed differently depending on the movement of the time. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, there was a distinct shift in the arts movement which directly impacted how women are portrayed. Not only are they represented differently, but they are represented more often and become more central altogether. In the 19th century, Romanticism and Realism were very prominent. During this time, women were always portrayed as they “should be”– sitting pretty in a grand interior, passively enjoying a leisure activity such as reading or gazing listlessly. With time, the culture changed along with the art. The late 19th century was the beginning of the Art Nouveau movement. This movement was characterized initially by opposition to historical and academic painting, which attempted to erase the line between fine art and decorative art. Art Nouveau is known for its use of organic forms, flowing lines, and dynamic movement. This movement had an impact on many things– architecture, painting, posters, sculpture, photography, fashion, etc. It specifically altered the depiction of women in art at the same time that women were getting out of the home and into the workplace. Paintings and other artwork with a female subject shifted to meet this new ideal. Fashion for women had previously been very restrictive and conservative, but with Art Nouveau, everything became about loose and flowy fabric. Women in art were now idealized for their soft form and elegant movement, as well as their sensuality. As the movement progressed, their graceful forms became active rather than passive.

James McNeill Whistler, Mother of Pearl and Silver: The Andalusian, 1888-1900, Oil on Canvas The National Gallery of Art, 1943.6.1

This painting was done very early in the Art Nouveau movement. Whistler started following the movement early on, which was likely influenced by his time in Paris. This painting depicts a woman in a long flowing dress which takes up the majority of the space, with only her profile being revealed to us. The subject of this painting is arguably the dress rather than the woman, highlighting the shifts in fashion that arose with Art Nouveau. The elegance and curved lines along with the flowing dress fit well into the coming depictions of the ideal form of women in motion. However, as this piece is early in the movement, she still stands passively compared to later works.

John Singer Sargent, Ada Rehan, 1894-1895, Oil on Canvas

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 40.146

    Ada Rehan is another piece done under the influence of Art Nouveau. Sargent even met James Whistler during his artistic journey. In this piece, we notice first the subject and then the form. Rehan was a renowned actress of the time, and would have been recognized for her roles in plays. Sargent paints her in a manner that represents her poise and stage presence, honoring her career as an actress. This nod to action is implied by our recognition of the subject, while still having elements of the usual style of portraiture. Her attire is fashion forward, being very flowy and dynamic.

John White Alexander, Repose, 1895, Oil on canvas

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.224

Alexander paints Repose at a tense point in this movement, exemplifying the midpoint in the transition from depictions of passive women to those of Art Nouveau. He was heavily influenced by Whistler, whom he knew personally. We first are confronted with the sheer form of this piece. Alexander uses long curved lines and intense value range to create a sense of motion, putting a spin on the usual woman-sitting-on-a-couch painting. A large way he creates movement here is actually by the choice of his model. The woman depicted is Loie Fuller, who was a very famous dancer at the time. She was the leading pioneer of the Art Nouveau movement through dance, inventing her own style. Alexander’s choice to depict this woman enforces the intention of this piece’s placement in Art Nouveau, in case we missed it in the sweeping lines and elegant form.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Gustav Klimt, 1907, Oil, silver, and gold on canvas.

Neue Galerie New York

  A large part of Art Nouveau was the abolition of the distinction between fine art and decorative art. Klimt was heavily influenced by this, creating paintings that embodied a sort of all-inclusive style. In this piece, he uses silver and gold leaf in addition to oil paint which portrays an idealized and fantastical view of femininity. Adele’s gold dress blends with the gold background, placing her in a setting that is almost dream-like and otherworldly. This high and dreamy way of depicting women is the definition of Art Nouveau. The mix of organic and geometric forms carried by long curving lines make the entire piece look like it is in motion. Our eyes follow these lines and we can feel her movement.

Samuel Joshua Beckett, Loie Fuller Dancing, ca. 1900, Gelatin silver print

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005.100.959

Loie Fuller lived from 1862-1928, being well known for developing her own style of modern dance. Loie was the most popular dancer involved in the Art Nouveau movement; she corresponded the names of her dance pieces to popular contemporary Art Nouveau images. Her style involved long pieces of fabric that she attached to herself, which made the fabric more prominent than the body inside. She danced with these veils to create large flowing forms. Painters during this movement were heavily inspired by this. The image of a dancer moving within a flowing drapery sang for the sensual and mystical ideal of women in Art Nouveau. Beckett captures Fuller in her element as she releases her body in action and freedom.

Harriet Whitney Frismuth, The Vine, 1921; revised 1923: this cast 1924, Bronze

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 27.66

Sculptures of dancers became wildly popular in the early 20th century. The development of feminine idealism through Art Nouveau has come far, and pieces like The Vine are not holding anything back. Artists were inspired greatly by the modern dancers of the time, namely Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Anna Pavlova. Frismuth was known to hire dancers to pose for her sculptures, which was a common practice during this period. The Vine portrays nearly everything Art Nouveau stood for. This woman is not passive or restricted, but she is stretching into the height of movement. She holds a vine and stands on her toes, extending upwards as if embodying the vine's organic form. She is elegant, sensual, dynamic and freely moving.