Bryan Choi
Throughout history, women was
treated nothing more than an object. In the Victorian Era, 19th
century, women’s purpose was sex, giving birth, and motherhood for their young
(Victorian Women: The Gender). Many women artist during that era
acknowledge the bias concept and rebelled by painting their emotions. On November
2012, the Newark Museum offers a grand exhibition of girlhood in the 19th
century American Art called “Angels and Tomboys”: CLICK HERE to get more information about the museum. The exhibition presents variety
of paintings, such as portrait of artist’s children or sceneries that have significance
of womanhood during the Victorian Era. One of the greatest artists in the show
was Lilly Martin Spencer, and she embraces her audience with messages in her
painting. Lilly Martin Spencer and other artists in that period show
significance of women empowerment.
Before comprehending an artist’s masterpieces, one must understand the history of the artist. Lilly Martin Spencer was a successful and educated American painter. She studied in Europe, not for the sake of new creativity, but understanding the ideas and techniques of Realism. Realism was a period (mid 1800s) when artists shine on the peasants’ lifestyle. One can say Realism might have influenced Lilly Spencer in painting important allegorical story for the magnitude of women. Lilly Spencer was “the sole provider for her family”, which was ironic at that period because men were suppose to work. The artist struggled to balance between her work and family ("Seeing America: Lilly Martin"). By understanding Lilly Spencer’s lifestyle, one can grasp the purpose of painting women’s efforts in life.
Before comprehending an artist’s masterpieces, one must understand the history of the artist. Lilly Martin Spencer was a successful and educated American painter. She studied in Europe, not for the sake of new creativity, but understanding the ideas and techniques of Realism. Realism was a period (mid 1800s) when artists shine on the peasants’ lifestyle. One can say Realism might have influenced Lilly Spencer in painting important allegorical story for the magnitude of women. Lilly Spencer was “the sole provider for her family”, which was ironic at that period because men were suppose to work. The artist struggled to balance between her work and family ("Seeing America: Lilly Martin"). By understanding Lilly Spencer’s lifestyle, one can grasp the purpose of painting women’s efforts in life.
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War
Spirit at Home, painted in 1866, was a great example of Lilly Martin
Spencer’s work, which expresses her deep emotions for women. The painting’s
narrative is taken place during Civil War, where men have to fight, while women
stay home to take care of their kids. The woman in the painting is sitting on a
chair, while reading the newspaper and holding her baby. The three children are
playing around by holding pot and pan. The maid is in the background, doing
chores, such as drying the plates, while staring at the kids. In this scenario,
the women have taken the role of a man because her husband was away. She was in
charge, so she gets to relax and read the newspaper like her husband. Lilly
Martin Spencer might have painted a sarcastic and humor view for her audience.
During that time, viewers might be profound by the fact that the woman is just
sitting there and doing nothing, while her kids are running wild. Spencer might
have wanted to provoke the idea in that men hardly spend time with their family,
in comparison to the women slaving away doing chores and taking care of the
children. The main message that the artist is trying to come across is the value
of women. Without women, the family will be running wild, and as a society
during the Victorian Era, people should be aware in the existence of women and
stop treating them as an object.
Lilly Martin Spencer and other
female artists have created a successful message to promote women’s right because
later on countless artists, such as Pablo Picasso, painted women in a serious
matter, rather than being an object for the male gazer. Pablo Picasso was a
Spanish painter that has founded the Cubist movement in the early 20th
century. The cubist movement allows painters to paint in a geometric form as
well as free flowing composition of different plans. A perfect paradigm of his
work that relates back to the serious matter of women is Girl before a Mirror, 1932. The
painting is a young girl named Marie Therese Walter and people have said that
Picasso and she have a hidden relationship. In the painting it shows a very
abstract and geometrical girl staring at herself in the mirror, the reflection
of the mirror is a dark and sinister of herself in the future. Some might say
the reflection of herself is pregnant meaning it is a future life of Marie.
Moreover the image indicates a young woman is growing into a woman, she is more
aware of her sexuality (Hunter 193). The painting not only demonstrates a narrative,
but it shows that women are painted in a meaningful way by a male painter. The
biggest difference between Picasso and Spencer is the technique that is used.
Picasso painted in a more geometrical way, which stylized and simplified his
works. On the other hand, Spencer painted in a heavy brushstroke, but very
detailed on her figures.
Without the accomplishment of Lilly Martin
Spencer and other female’s artists, many people in society will not paint women
in a meaningful matter or even treat women with the right they deserved. Many
artists have acknowledged and understood this situation; therefore, they have
painted women in a serious theme. Lilly Martin Spencer and many other artists
showed great concern for society and women’s right. She brought awareness
through her painting, and successfully shift the minds of others.
Here is a great document about Lilly Martin Spencer!
Here is a great document about Lilly Martin Spencer!
Sources i used:
Hunter, Sam. Modern Art. Third ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
"Seeing America: Lilly Martin
Spencer." Memorial Art Gallery.
N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://mag.rochester.edu/seeingAmerica/pdfs/10.pdf>.
Victorian
Women: The Gender of Oppression. Webpage, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://webpage.pace.edu/nreagin/tempmotherhood/fall2003/3/HisPage.html>.
I like how you expand on gender issues and how they relate to the works of Lilly Martin Spencer and how it affects the manner in which artists like Picasso portray women. I'd like to see you expand more on Picasso and his perception of women (and how he conveys it in his works).
ReplyDeleteGREAT READ!
Picasso’s views on women are quite blunt. He once told his mistress Francoise Gilot in 1943 “women are machines for suffering.” He have had an affair for nine years, and told his student that “for me there are only two kinds of women, goddesses and doormats”. One can say he is really passionate for women, but in my perspective his affairs shows that women is nothing but an object. His artistic approaches on women are quite different because most of his figures (women) in his painting are filled with emotions based on their face expression. The women in his paintings show vulnerability and insecurity, which can be a bias thought that most women are still weak. The descriptions are all in my own viewpoint, so I can be misleading. The article on more about his perspective is HERE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/4610752/Pablo-Picassos-love-affair-with-women.html . I hope this helps a little :D.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, good insight. So it's more of a love-hate relationship. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI like your insight into Lily Martin Spencer and her painting. Your comparison to Picasso was interesting, I would have liked you to give a little more about Picasso in your post, but I do like what you added in response to Princess' comment. I like how you compared Picasso mind set in his work vs. his real life.
ReplyDelete