I had to chuckle at the genre name of Neo-Pre-Raphaelites, but that painting is gorgeous!
The painting of the Duchess as Cynthia by Maria Cosway recalled the description of Jane Eyre's second watercolour of the Evening Star in a woman's shape "crowned with a star". Several great female authors are remembered for only a few books - Charlotte Bronte only wrote four and 'Jane Eyre' has eclipsed the other three, Emily Bronte wrote only one, Anne Bronte two, and even Jane Austen has a mere seven completed novels. So why are Anne Killigrew's few paintings considered a case of might-have-been? Just her two paintings pictured here are worthy of being considered great art. If great literature doesn't depend on being prolific, why should great art? Doesn't one excellent painting show an artist's ability as much as one good novel shows a writer's ability? After all, Leonardo Da Vinci certainly wasn't prolific when it came to finished paintings.
Thanks Holly. Good point about Killigrew and the Bronte sisters, though I guess with a painter I’d like to see a small room full at least.
That genre name of Neo-Pre-Raphaelites is pretty funny - I'm surprised it's still used. I wonder what the next in that series would be? Pseudo-Neo-Pre-Raphaelites?
Riveting paintings, Jeffrey. Brickdale, surprises with the force of color and emotion. I feel as if I were at the exhibition. And then we have Holly's so smart comment. Thank you both so ...
Gwen John's self-portrait is astonishing. If you cover the right half of her face in the painting (which would be her real life left-hand side), you see her staring directly into your eyes ("with a quiet but penetrating gaze," beautifully said, Jeffrey). If you cover the other half, you can see how her gaze is inwardly directed, and how the wonderful ivory light suffusing her cheek and neck counterpoints the cameo on her black choker.
Wow, thank you for that suggestion of covering half the face. I could really see two versions of herself that way. Fascinating for a painter to do that.
This enchanting virtual visit will have to substitute for a real woman. A fascinating show of European women artists has just concluded here in Toronto. The star, for me, was Judith Leysters of the Dutch Golden Age, whose engaging self-portrait I wish I could share here. She stopped painting when she married, and her reputation vanished for centuries as her work was confused with that of Frans Hals. It’s exciting to see museums highlighting women artists.
Thank you, Rona. I sometimes find myself balanced between delight at seeing the work of women artists and anger at their being ignored for so long. But the delight always wins!
Thanks so much! Marvelous sharing of work I'd never have seen or heard of otherwise. The Anne Killigrew painting reads completely differently once one understands that it's a self-portrait.
Wonderful and thanks for bringing this exhibit to my attention. I’m in London in September, and have been thinking of things to see and do, so this is now on my list.
I’m always learning from your writing, Jeffrey, and this was one of my favorites! I’m in love with the Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale painting you shared here. 😍
What a brilliant review. Excited that I'll get to see this in Sep/Oct. Thanks for the great tip, Jeffrey. That John portrait is truly stunning. I can see why you spent so long in front of it.
You must visit! It is a bit of a cultural epicenter for the US. I love the Gardner. It’s my favorite museum. But the Museum of Fine Arts is quite good. Many other attractions and landmarks.
Thank you so much for this very enjoyable and illuminating museum tour! Your vitalized descriptions make me feel a part of the scene. I am thankful for this enchanting introduction to several new female artists. This encounter inspires me & provides intriguing socio-cultural context as I am preparing the syllabus for my Jane Austen seminar this fall. Best wishes!
The self portrait of Gwen John with her quiet dignity & uncompromising gaze brings to mind thematic elements from works of the Realist period written by some of my favorite female authors including Louisa May Alcott, Edith Wharton, & Willa Cather—studies of women who refuse to let socio-cultural pressures objectify their values & define their worth. Did any literary works come to your mind as you explored this meaningful exhibition?
Thank you for sharing those thoughts about the Gwen John self-portrait. I certainly thought of a number of writers as I went around the exhibition, though I didn't want to include them in my post, to avoid distracting from the painters. Of course, Dryden and Spenser were directly mentioned by the curators. And when I visit an exhibition these days, I can usual detect some mumbling in my head from Lamb and Hazlitt who wrote so well about art in their different ways. But most of all in this case, I think of Virginia Woolf. She would have made a great subject for a portrait by some of the painters. And it's fascinating to imagine what she would have thought of the exhibition. An introduction to the catalogue by her would be priceless, I think.
I agree! Your insightful comments inspire me to revisit _A Room of One’s Own_. From reading this luminous text, I think we can agree she would see it as such an essential & beautiful extension of her own aesthetic vision!
Thank you, Jeffrey, for introducing us to these gorgeous paintings by female artists. ❤️ For years, I'd feature a different artist in my newsletters, but since getting on Substack, I've seem to meandered away from that. But if I return, I've discovered some new ones through you. Cheers.
Wonderful review and postcard from what seems like a fascinating exhibit - really lovely to revisit some of these artists and to be introduced to others. Thank you!
I had to chuckle at the genre name of Neo-Pre-Raphaelites, but that painting is gorgeous!
The painting of the Duchess as Cynthia by Maria Cosway recalled the description of Jane Eyre's second watercolour of the Evening Star in a woman's shape "crowned with a star". Several great female authors are remembered for only a few books - Charlotte Bronte only wrote four and 'Jane Eyre' has eclipsed the other three, Emily Bronte wrote only one, Anne Bronte two, and even Jane Austen has a mere seven completed novels. So why are Anne Killigrew's few paintings considered a case of might-have-been? Just her two paintings pictured here are worthy of being considered great art. If great literature doesn't depend on being prolific, why should great art? Doesn't one excellent painting show an artist's ability as much as one good novel shows a writer's ability? After all, Leonardo Da Vinci certainly wasn't prolific when it came to finished paintings.
Thanks Holly. Good point about Killigrew and the Bronte sisters, though I guess with a painter I’d like to see a small room full at least.
That genre name of Neo-Pre-Raphaelites is pretty funny - I'm surprised it's still used. I wonder what the next in that series would be? Pseudo-Neo-Pre-Raphaelites?
A wonderful point - being prolific isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to creativity.
Thank you for reading and commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed the Killigrew self-portrait.
Riveting paintings, Jeffrey. Brickdale, surprises with the force of color and emotion. I feel as if I were at the exhibition. And then we have Holly's so smart comment. Thank you both so ...
Thank you for reading (and viewing), Mary!
Gwen John's self-portrait is astonishing. If you cover the right half of her face in the painting (which would be her real life left-hand side), you see her staring directly into your eyes ("with a quiet but penetrating gaze," beautifully said, Jeffrey). If you cover the other half, you can see how her gaze is inwardly directed, and how the wonderful ivory light suffusing her cheek and neck counterpoints the cameo on her black choker.
Thank you for that insight, Portia! I'll give it a try.
Wow, thank you for that suggestion of covering half the face. I could really see two versions of herself that way. Fascinating for a painter to do that.
This enchanting virtual visit will have to substitute for a real woman. A fascinating show of European women artists has just concluded here in Toronto. The star, for me, was Judith Leysters of the Dutch Golden Age, whose engaging self-portrait I wish I could share here. She stopped painting when she married, and her reputation vanished for centuries as her work was confused with that of Frans Hals. It’s exciting to see museums highlighting women artists.
Thank you, Rona. I sometimes find myself balanced between delight at seeing the work of women artists and anger at their being ignored for so long. But the delight always wins!
Thanks so much Jeffrey, you have made me long to see this exhibition (I rather love the old Tate)
Neo-Pre-Raphaelites, I had no idea... ! but I'm kind of sold on that extraordinary painting.
Thank you, Laura. I hope you get to see the exhibition.
Great read. A friend just posted a lot of the artwork with the descriptions on FB. Hope I get to go before it closes.
Thank you, Lee. It's a fabulous show, so I hope you get to see it.
Thanks so much! Marvelous sharing of work I'd never have seen or heard of otherwise. The Anne Killigrew painting reads completely differently once one understands that it's a self-portrait.
Wonderful and thanks for bringing this exhibit to my attention. I’m in London in September, and have been thinking of things to see and do, so this is now on my list.
Thank you, Sarah. Enjoy!
I’m always learning from your writing, Jeffrey, and this was one of my favorites! I’m in love with the Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale painting you shared here. 😍
Thank you, Maddie. Isn't it an amazing painting?
A feast for the eyes!
What a brilliant review. Excited that I'll get to see this in Sep/Oct. Thanks for the great tip, Jeffrey. That John portrait is truly stunning. I can see why you spent so long in front of it.
Thank you, Kate. I hope you enjoy the exhibition as much as I did!
So wonderful, Jeffrey. I recently posted about a museum trip myself. Have you ever been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston?
Thanks, Zina. No, I've never been to Boston! :(
You must visit! It is a bit of a cultural epicenter for the US. I love the Gardner. It’s my favorite museum. But the Museum of Fine Arts is quite good. Many other attractions and landmarks.
Thank you. I should definitely go!
What a sumptuous post! Thanks for taking us there. I loved the Eleanor F-B.
Thanks, June! yes, I love that one too.
Thank you so much for this very enjoyable and illuminating museum tour! Your vitalized descriptions make me feel a part of the scene. I am thankful for this enchanting introduction to several new female artists. This encounter inspires me & provides intriguing socio-cultural context as I am preparing the syllabus for my Jane Austen seminar this fall. Best wishes!
Thank you! I’m so glad that you found this interesting. It’s certainly a very stimulating exhibition, as well as a beautiful one.
The self portrait of Gwen John with her quiet dignity & uncompromising gaze brings to mind thematic elements from works of the Realist period written by some of my favorite female authors including Louisa May Alcott, Edith Wharton, & Willa Cather—studies of women who refuse to let socio-cultural pressures objectify their values & define their worth. Did any literary works come to your mind as you explored this meaningful exhibition?
Thank you for your kind feedback. I hope your day is filled with joyful surprises!
Thank you for sharing those thoughts about the Gwen John self-portrait. I certainly thought of a number of writers as I went around the exhibition, though I didn't want to include them in my post, to avoid distracting from the painters. Of course, Dryden and Spenser were directly mentioned by the curators. And when I visit an exhibition these days, I can usual detect some mumbling in my head from Lamb and Hazlitt who wrote so well about art in their different ways. But most of all in this case, I think of Virginia Woolf. She would have made a great subject for a portrait by some of the painters. And it's fascinating to imagine what she would have thought of the exhibition. An introduction to the catalogue by her would be priceless, I think.
I agree! Your insightful comments inspire me to revisit _A Room of One’s Own_. From reading this luminous text, I think we can agree she would see it as such an essential & beautiful extension of her own aesthetic vision!
That's beautifully expressed, and I agree with what you say.
Thank you, Jeffrey, for introducing us to these gorgeous paintings by female artists. ❤️ For years, I'd feature a different artist in my newsletters, but since getting on Substack, I've seem to meandered away from that. But if I return, I've discovered some new ones through you. Cheers.
Thanks, Lani! There were certainly plenty of new artists for me to admire in this exhibition. I look forward to discovering others from you.
Wonderful review and postcard from what seems like a fascinating exhibit - really lovely to revisit some of these artists and to be introduced to others. Thank you!
Thank you for reading and your positive comments!