This painted series of female painters whose achievements were not celebrated nor dignified by the Art establishment, will depict their attitude towards their dismissal. The portraits will try to convey through posture and gesture their emotions towards the status quo that has denied or continued to negate their work.
The female artists chosen are from the 19th century art movement, Impressionism. These portraits will include artist such as Mary Cassatt, Zinaida Serebriakova, Anna Ancher, Cecilia Beaux and Olga Boznańska. The references used are primitive black and white photographs of each artist mentioned and will be painted in color. Thus, reviving and celebrating the female artists as contemporary artists.
The achievements of the female in the Art establishment, and in other organizations, have always been neglected because of society’s gender roles. Throughout my research of each artist, I will analyze each of their struggles as women in their career path. They have been challenged by not only the Art establishment, but also by loved ones. Dealing with lack of options for art education, low paying jobs, and discouraging remarks, these female artists continued to challenge the status quo. Some of them were fortunate enough to work personally with such remarkable artist such as Degas, Guichard, Chaplin, and Ingres. Working closely with these male artists also alleviated a small portion of conflict to begin building their reputation as female artist. My overall vision for this series is to bring to light the disparaged female artist. Although this may not change history it will bring awareness and recognition to the obstacles of female artists in the art establishment.
Catherine Thurston 