Robert Grilley The Pink Lady

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Recommended: Gender roles of women in the 1960s

Using bright colors and subjective mood, Robert Grilley’s 1967 oil painting, the Pink Lady, depicts a man and a woman casually standing before an intensely colored background. Now exhibited at the Chazen Museum in Madison, WI, this stylized work of art conveys a fantastical, almost trippy quality of a 1960’s cocktail party and gives the viewer a sense of unease and glamour. This painting highlights two figures standing close to one another while adverting their eyes and gazing somberly away from one another. While both smoking, the two people play into their gender stereotypes as the man is dressed in a bright blue suit, and the woman in a vibrant pink cocktail dress. During the 1960’s when the painting was created, gender roles were both simultaneously being held to their traditional standards, as well as starting to push against the predetermined boundaries. Grilley’s characteristic color palette, the adverted gaze, and placement of the hands serve as symbols that deal with the complexity of gender norms and sexuality. By decoding these symbols, the painting promotes voyeurism, and encourages the viewer to dissect the role of women and their bodies. Because of its use of iconography, this painting when examined under gender theory, comments on the stereotypical gender roles and how …show more content…

Robert Grilley effectively utilizes gender stereotypes to create a visually pleasing painting, while also challenging gender norms of the time to create an emotionally rich piece. The figures are not meant to be seen by just a male audience, but for everyone. The painting, rather than exhibiting the people on display, invites the viewer to consider their lives, encounter the story, and dive into the scene. Through the gender lens the story of the painting can be interpreted in a much deeper way and show the emotional way women and men can be portrayed

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