Jinsol Kim
Assignment 1
Idea of the Portrait
Shamoon Zamir
Madame Pompadour at her Tambour Frame: Ideal Figure vs. Likeness According to Shearer West, a portrait is “a work of art that represents a unique individual”. West elaborates on the implications of this definition of a portrait, introducing the dilemma of the painter, who may strive to illustrate either or both the ideal figure, or a likeness of the sitter. Jean Germain Drouais’ resolution to such a dilemma can be observed in the painting, Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame, as he struggles to portray both the femininity of the ideal woman in the 1760s, while conveying the more present, aged and unique characteristics of the lady that captured King Louis XV’s heart.
The feminine qualities of Madame de Pompadour in her portrait are much easier to highlight when compared with the masculine qualities of the portrait of Comte de Vandreuil, also painted by Drouais. Donned in a strong deep blue, a color that symbolizes authority, the Count’s image is captured mid-movement, which indicates his active role in society. This fact is reiterated by the gloves and hat that rest on the deep, red chair behind him. He is able to resume his manly duties at any moment. The armor by his feet and the maps suggest his gallant involvement in the military the order and strictness of which are
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However, the Madame de Pompadour that sat before Drouais was nearing her death. Drouais managed to grasp her ideal at the height of Madame Pompadour’s beauty as well as her chubbier, more weathered likeness by capturing her past and present in a single frame. In the last portrayal of the once beautiful Madame Pompadour, her eyes reveal a sense of pride in her accomplishments as the closest personnel to the king, somewhat reluctant to succumb to her nearing death, but content with the life she is leaving
The Comtesse de Tournay, is an amazing mother and wife. Her top concern when she finally escapes war ridden France and makes it safely to England is to get her husband M. le Comte Tournay de Basserive safe to England as well; however, she knows that her children need her more. She left her husband behind because her children refused to leave the terror that is France without her. The men in the league of the Scarlet Pimpernel assure her that they will bring the Compt to England safely and the comtesse is overjoyed to
Contextual Theory: This painting depicts a portrait of life during the late 1800’s. The women’s clothing and hair style represent that era. Gorgeous landscape and a leisurely moment are captured by the artist in this work of
During the time period, France was in serious trouble, the country was having struggles for political power and many no longer wanted the monarchy system in place. King Louis XIV ruled France with an iron fist since a very young age, he was referred to as the “Sun King”. The two paintings clearly show the social status and hierarchy involved in the everyday life during this time period. In Louis XIV, the painting was meant to be put on display in the Palace of Versailles and be a
The painting depicts a mother and her four children, who are all leaning on her as she looks down solemnly, her tired, despondent expression suggests she felt trapped in her roles as being a mother and a wife. The woman and her children are clearly the focal point of the artwork as the bright colours used to paint them stand out impeccably against the dull, lifeless colours of the background. This painting appears to be centred around the ideology that women are home-keepers, whose main role is to satisfy and assist her husband while simultaneously minding the children and keeping the home tidy and ready for his return. The social consequences of this artwork could have been that the woman could have been berated for not taking pleasure out of being a mother and raising her children, as a woman should. She could have been made redundant as her husband may have felt as though she is no longer useful if she couldn’t adequately adhere to her roles as a mother and a
In this novel, the society is centered around dichotomies; “youth and dotage” (Balzac 67), “the young man who has possessions and the young man that has nothing” and “the young man who thinks and the young man who spends” (87). Any person who falls outside of either box is called a “[child] who learn[s]… too late” or can “never appear in polite society” (87), essentially meaning they are undesirable in a formal society because they cannot follow expectations. The titular character, Paquita, is an “oriental” foreigner, from Havana, domesticated in Paris when she was sold to a wealthy woman who desired her. She fits into no culture entirely, as she is “part Asian houri on her mother’s side, part European through education, and part tropical by birth” (122). She is bisexual, choosing neither men nor women over the other. She is controlling, dressing Henri in women’s clothing (119), but controlled as she is reduced to a possession. However, there are ways in which a person can still be desired even if they are not easily pigeonholed. With her golden eyes and sensuality, Paquita fulfills both of the main pursuits of this society, “gold and pleasure” (68). Consequently, unlike the Marquis and his irrelevance in society, Paquita is highly sought after, thus making her a valuable commodity. Her desirability is not because of who she is as a human, but instead what
Monsieur Mouret had the utmost respect for women and their habits; this is the case until his boredom with them in his private life overwhelms his desires for them, in which case he moves on to the next victim. In the public arena he continually portrays himself as a gentleman of gentlem...
Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun was one of the most successful painters of her time. Over the course of her life, spanning from 1755-1842, she painted over 900 works. She enjoyed painting self portraits, completing almost 40 throughout her career, in the style of artists she admired such as Peter Paul Rubens (Montfort). However, the majority of her paintings were beautiful, colorful, idealized likenesses of the aristocrats of her time, the most well known of these being the Queen of France Marie Antoinette, whom she painted from 1779-1789. Not only was Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun the Queen’s portrait painter for ten years, but she also became her close, personal friend. She saw only the luxurious, carefree, colorful, and fabulous lifestyle the aristocracy lived in, rather than the poverty and suffrage much of the rest of the country was going through. Elisabeth kept the ideals of the aristocracy she saw through Marie Antoinette throughout her life, painting a picture of them that she believed to be practically perfect. Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun’s relationship with Marie Antoinette affected her social standing, politics, painting style, and career.
References 2, 7, 8- "Vincent Van Gogh- Portrait of an Artist" Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, pages 7, 85, and 86. Published in 2001.
The painting depicts two figures, the one of a woman and of a man. The dominating central figure is the one of the woman. We see her profile as she looks to the left. Her hands are crossed in a graceful manner. She has blonde hair and her figure is lit by what seems to be natur...
The Comtesse de Tournay is a caring person. Right when she finally gets safely to England, she frets about her husband’s safety. She begs to know who the Scarlet Pimpernel
On Saturday, March 15, 2014, I visited the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The gallery #753, which is a part of so-called American Wing, features oil paintings of the revolutionary period in America. The paintings seen in this gallery celebrate heroes and hard-fought battles of the new nation. The most popular type of painting of that time remained portraiture. Portraits in extremely large numbers figured in interiors, where they were arranged to convey not only domestic, but political messages as well. Hence, it is natural, that such iconic figure like George Washington became a model for numerous artists of that era, including Gilbert Stuart and Charles Willson Peale, for whom Washington actually sat. Two exceptional portraits of Washington, the general and the the first President of the United States are highlighted in this paper.
Which is caused by the narrator having a male perspective. The narrator does not give the women and credit or redeeming qualities. All the women follow a general stereotype. If they tried to break away from the stereotype, they would me more important and influential characters. Paquette, a chambermaid in the Baron’s castle, is described as “a pretty and obedient brunette” (5). She is identified obedient not because of her job as a chambermaid, but because she is willing to exploit her soul and body to the men around the castle. In regards to the old woman, she doesn’t even have an actual name, which does not matter since is ugly and useless. The old woman has the mindset that she is; an object; a mistake; a disgrace. That her time has passed as a beautiful useful woman. All the rape and abuse has physically affected her and she is out of luck. In fact, she is lucky if men talk to her, or even look at her without
He only connected with Fantomina on a sexual level and showed only false interest to expand their relationship past a sexual one. His efforts at deception, e.g. sending letters simultaneously to her many personas, are naive and inferior to Fantomina’s expert handling of disguises and her natural talent for manipulation. However, Beauplaisir’s actions are expected and fit into the male stereotype, thus he is not punished for what he has
It differs greatly, in its portrayal of mothers, from Le Brun’s Self-portrait with her Daughter and Cassatt’s artworks. Behind Marie Antoinette, you see a jewelry cabinet, off to the right of the canvas. This illustrates that, although she is with her children, she finds treasure within her own materialistic objects. Furthermore, her expression lacks emotion as she holds the child loosely within her arms. The child looks off, barely acknowledging its mother, who is holding him. Next, the child, on the far right of the canvas, reveals an empty cradle, alluding to a child who has died. Again, Marie seems unfazed or simply chooses not to acknowledge the boy’s actions. Furthermore, the young girl, on the right of the canvas, clings on to her mother as she lovingly looks up to her mother. Marie holds a wry smile, appearing somewhat annoyed or displeased. The color scheme is dark, but Le Brun utilizes contrast to emphasize the royal family. However, it only works to further expose the detached relationship between a Marie and her children. According to the lecture, “To counter people’s hatred of the queen and their criticisms of her as a bad (even a degenerate) mother, Vigée Le Brun was commissioned to paint this portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children” (Gartrell). Sadly, the painting was
In his Bonheur de Vivre (Matisse) the figures are equally non-classical in both their appearance and in the eroticism they show expressing the work’s title, in English a “Joy of Life”. Matisse’s figures however do not blend into their surroundings in the least. They are very present in contrast to the vivid reds and yellows so prevalent. Most of the figures are outlined with the red and green used in the foliage but contrasting against the other background colors. Except for the figures in the front they all seem formed and individual. The couple in the right front of the painting have merged though we can feel the lovemaking tension from them but neither are truly complete. The female form seems to be another early example of a figure either being seen from multiple viewpoints at once or as one that is in motion.as she is outlined she seems to be laying away from us however her head is in the arms of her lover but not only is it not visible it also seems to be a completely wrong angle. Under the outlined figure though is another patch of the same flesh coloring, suggesting she is or was curved into