Natural Femininity
Berthe Morisot's 1890 "Before the Mirror"

Description: 

Display Explanation: 

To display my images, I think I would have them put behind a door. Instead of having them out in the open. Outside of the room the door would be titled “Natural Femininity”. The door would be about halfway open, halfway closed. It would also be green. Inside the room my images would be displayed on platform like structures. They would be black. I think I would have one of my images that stood out the most in the front to capture the viewers attention, so that way they would be more likely to want to view the other two. For the positioning, I would have the one in the front facing almost straight up. Then, the ones beside it a little more tilted. For my image in the front I would choose “Nude in an Armchair” by Pierre Auguste to be my eye catcher. Then I would have “Before the Mirror” to the left of it and then “the woman combing her hair” to the right. I would also include lights tin front of the images to make them stand out more and so the audience could see the details and colors better. In the room itself, I think I would include a variety of colors on the walls around the painting. I would include a red background, with touches of blues and greens and blacks on top, in a swirl pattern. Similar to “Before the Mirror” background just with different colors to evoke certain emotions. All of my images would be framed with different colors as well. I would use red for “Nude in an Armchair”. I would use blue for “before the mirror”. Then I would use green for “The Woman Combing Her Hair”. All of the colors would complement the background that they are placed in. In my room, I would also include some props to evoke feelings of the viewer. I would include mirrors on the wall of both sides of the room. They would be full length mirrors that the viewers could see their bodies in. Another thing I would include is a couch in the back, placed behind the images. The couch would be a burnt orange color. On the couch, I would place items to go along with my images. Specifically, I would include a comb and a brush for “ The Woman Combing Her Hair”. For “Before the Mirror”  a piece of cloth to represent the clothing she is wearing. For “Nude in an Armchair” I would include a blanket that she seems to be sitting on in her chair. All of the props would go behind their corresponding images. Beside the couch, there would be a small nightstand. On the nightstand I would have items that could represent femininity. On the corner of the table, there would be a bouquet of flowers in a small vase with painted butterflies on it. Then, there would be a painting of a framed tree right on the other corner. Lastly, a lamp in the middle of the table. 

Installation Note:

The three art pieces in my installation include: “Before the Mirror” “The Woman Combing Her Hair” and “ Nude in an Armchair. One of the most important connections I’ve made for all 3 images is the feeling of confidence and a natural feeling in all of the women’s body expressions. “Before the Mirror” includes a woman who is looking in the mirror, alone, partially nude, doing her hair. In “The Woman Combing Her Hair” the woman is nude with her back turned, combing her hair. Both of these women appear to being very natural looking and free in their own sexuality. I get this by their body language, because I cannot see their facial expressions. The way they are positioned gives off a feeling of openness and freedom. In “Nude in an Armchair” the woman is sitting on a chair, nude, slightly hunched over. In this image, the woman gives off the feeling that she’s not posing for the camera, just being herself. Actually, all of the images radiate that. The women are not posing for what we would assume would be a man on the other side. They are confident in themselves and their bodies and don’t care that they’re being looked at. They’re not afraid to take up space where they are. This comes off as very powerful. To me, nude in an armchair stands out the most because to the blend of colors in the background and her positioning. We see her a little more hunched over and to the side compared to the other women. The others we mostly see their backs, reaching for their hair. In “Nude in an Armchair’’ she is slightly turned and looks to be reaching down for the material near her calf. Another thing to note is that these women seem to be to have just gotten done with a bath or shower. I think this is important because it again goes along with the idea of power and confidence. Taking a bath can be an intimate experience and most people or women would care about being photographed in this setting. However, these women seem fine and open to that and really don’t care about who is looking at them afterwards. Another important aspect of the images is that all of these women are alone. They’re all alone in domestic settings. This can symbolize independence. Which especially at the time, was unheard of or frowned upon of women. So, I think it’s powerful for all of them to be in a single setting. For my display, the reason why I chose to name it “Natural Femininity” and the green door. Is because I note that all of the images give off a natural and open feeling. The color green symbolizes freshness and naturalness. I chose the positioning that I did to grab the attention of the audience. “Nude in an Armchair” would go in front to capture the attention of them and then they others placed beside it to compliment it. Black platforms would be used to symbolize power. Lights would be used to show off details. The use of a red background is to symbolize power, confidence, and passion. The blue would represent calmness, the green freshness, and the black would be power and rebellion. The colors of the frames also compliment the images. I used full length mirrors in my room so the viewers could reflect on their own bodies, similar to the women. The couch in the back is burnt orange to symbolize confidence, and the uses of seating in the images. The items on the couch correlate with each image, The cloth with “Before the Mirror” the brush with “The Woman Combing Her Hair” and the blanket with “Nude in an Armchair. The items are to help visualize the images better and make the viewer think about them more. The nightstand includes items for different interpretations of femininity. It includes flowers to represent softness and beauty. With butterflies on the vase to symbolize rebirth and nature. The tree symbolizes strength, growth and individuality. The lamp is there to enhance the domestic setting. 

MLA: 

Degas, Edgar. La Toilette (Woman Combing Her Hair). c. 1884-86.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas#/media/File:Edgar_Germain_Hilaire_Degas_029.jpgLinks to an external site.

 

 

“Nude in an Armchair, c.1885 - 1890 - Pierre-Auguste Renoir - WikiArt.Org.” Www.Wikiart.Org, 

https://www.wikiart.org/en/pierre-auguste-renoir/nude-in-an-armchair-1890Links to an external site.

Morisot, Berthe. Before the Mirror. 1890.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthe_Morisot#/media/File:Before_the_Mirr...
erthe_Morisot.jpg.

Associated Place(s)

Artist: 

  • Multiple Artists

Image Date: 

20th century