Eva Gonzalès
Today we present a beautiful work by Eva Gonzalès, an upper-class French Impressionist painter who was tutored by Édouard Manet but whose work fell out of favor after her untimely death following childbirth in 1883.
In the beautifully composed painting, the artist’s sister Jeanne is depicted with her back to the viewer, holding a red flower while looking into a mirror. The backdrop is muted, primarily in shades of gray and brown, giving the painting a nearly monochromatic appearance. This somber, indoor setting reflects a recurring theme among female Impressionists and contemporary female artists in general, who often lacked the freedom to paint outdoors like their male counterparts. Instead, they captured scenes within the private spaces of salons and bedrooms, focusing on personal subjects like family and children. This approach offers an intimate, reserved glimpse into the lives of these artists.
Recently, the National Gallery in London acquired this painting. What is hard to believe in this context is that the museum has only 20 female artists in its collection out of 750 represented. This is evidence that art history has been dominated by men for ages and that many changes need to be made here.
P.S. Some artists are equally important to the Impressionist movement but have faded a little compared to big names like Monet and Manet. Have you heard about Eva Gonzalès before? She helped Manet to come out of his shell after the poor reviews that Manet received about his Salon entries. You can learn more about their relationship in our French Impressionism Mega Course.
P.P.S. Can you name other women Impressionists? Do you know for what Degas was particularly famous? Test your knowledge on the Impressionists in our quiz!