ART PIECES
A collection of prolific pieces from female artists, both classic and contemporary.
Still Life - Clara Peeters
Clara exacted her paintings with a didactic attention, portraying her scenes with a delicate calculation while also providing a visceral, sensuous experience to the viewer. While at first glance the placement of the objects could seem random, they are arranged in a way that the viewer is awarded a full view of every single one of them - a glorious banquet for the eyes. At the same time, her paintings maintain an air of authenticity and natural composition through her intentional details. A half-eaten pretzel, sliced through cheese, insect bitten petals, and a knife hanging from the table all provide a sense to the viewer that this is a scene that have just simply walked upon.
Charlotte Salomon: Life? Or Theatre
Faced with the weight of this history of finality in her family, Charlotte found herself at a cross point: “The question: whether to take her own life or to undertake something eccentric and mad.” Choosing “eccentric and mad” she embarked on a journey to create her monumental work “Life? Or Theatre”, composed of nearly early eight hundred page-size gouaches and overlays with vignettes, playful commentaries, and choruses]
Alice Neel: People Come First
Painting from a female gaze, Alice never let herself be restrained by convention, even after achieving great success, still capturing the “diversity, resilience, and passion” of the human being.
Judith Beheading Holofernes
This week’s art piece of the week is “Judith beheading Holofernes” by Artemisia Gentileschi.
The daughter of painter Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia began painting at the age of fifteen. Born in Rome, Artemisia would go on to paint for the aristocracies of Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, and London. She was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence, pushing through the boundaries of the male dominated professional artist world.