A Tale of Three Citi-Slickers: Women in Art

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Women in Art

This documentary from "Great Museums" is a great introduction to women in art. It highlights some women artists starting from the 16th century in Europe. But like I said it's a great INTRODUCTION, by no means does it hold all the wonderful information about women in the arts.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/131732/great-museums-a-womans-touch-national-museum-of-women-in-the-arts

Enjoy!

Self Portrait with a Straw Hat, Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, 1780's.

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The Essentials

Artwork of the Week

The Entombment of Atala (aka The Funeral of Atala) by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, 1808. The first place I wanted to go when I was in the Louvre was the 19th century Romantic Era Painting Hall. If you’ve been there then you’ll know the room by its gorgeous red walls and giant oil paintings. It was there that I first encountered this image, and it was standing in front of it that I fell madly, deeply, and forever in love with it. It’s characteristically part of the Romantic Movement filled with passion, and drama, eroticism and of course completed on a grand scale. It’s based on the tale of forbidden love by Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, which was published in 1801 and extremely popular. It tells the Romeo/Juliet-esque story of Atala a Christian maiden who’s sworn herself to God, service and a life of chastity, and Chactas an Indian brave whom she frees from his enemies and hides in the cave of a religious recluse, Father Aubry. When Atala realizes she’s falling in love with Chactas and breaking her vow she takes poison and commits suicide. After her suicide Chactas vows from then on to be a Christian. The pure grief on Chactas face in this work is what originally drew me in, his love for Atala so great that he can’t bear to let her be buried and taken away forever. If you get really close to the work you can see a tiny tear trailing down his face. The bold colors, subdued brushstrokes, and ephemeral light bring a peace to the scene that is intensified by the illuminated cross in the background, a confirmation of heaven's acceptance of Atala.