Femme - Katelyn Gelhart

Come of things is a multi-medium piece that features lavish, meticulously detailed foliage and stunning creatures in an abstract and elaborate way. The two figures are joined by colorful animals that they interact with. The artist, Del Kathryn Barton’s work is seen as “psycho-sexual” and “overripe and undefined eroticism”. The use of the over-saturated colors and female-formed creatures add emphasis to the strong feminine theme of this artwork.

In this scene, a woman sits naked, reading at a dressing table. Robert Delaunay uses colors and shapes to give detail and depth to this exceedingly balanced painting. The dark, contrasting background draws the eye to the woman’s hair and down her spine which cultivates movement throughout this piece. Her soft, feminine curves are emphasized through cooler, shadowed tones. The scene, while inherently intimate, is ultimately non-sexualized voyeurism.

This painting by Gintaras Znamierowski depicts two new-age feminists in the foreground fighting, while behind them the abstract painting of the old feminist is coming forth from the canvas. In the artist’s view, this hyperrealistic illustration pays an homage to expressionist Willem de Kooning and the old feminist movement. This representation of the exchange in feminist power between the old and the new era. The artist mimics Willem’s style, with the muddled colors and the “authorial brushwork” and beautifully meshes his own style of vibrant, saturated colors.

Egon Schiele’s style of expressionism perfectly represent the depth of the human soul as shown in Two Women Embracing. Constraint from no taboos, Schiele broached the topic of lesbianism and expressed the importance of the private intertwining of both same sex and heterosexual couples. The contrast of the nude woman’s soft ivory skin and the clothed woman’s red, ruffled attire cultivates proximity and closeness. The pencil-drawn aspect instills a empathetic and lonely tone. Although this work showcases intimacy between lovers, the artist evades sexualization and elevates the themes of sensuality and melancholy.

This drawing, also done by Egon Schiele, focuses solely on the female figure. The red-headed woman kneels gracefully with her shoulders and arms pulled back to expose her chest. The sharp definition of the outlined figure and the white, chalk boarder draws the viewers eye to her body and showcases its beauty. While the overall premise of this portrait is simplistic, it is detailed in the care the artist took to highlight the key features of the feminine form.

Wilhelm Lehmbruck’s minimalistic rendition of the female form displays a softly shaped figure, utilizing dark colors to emphasize the subjects depressed appearance. This top-heavy portrait breaks down the anatomy of the female body to an absolute minimum, only revealing rough outlines of head, torso and legs. Its emotional context tells the story of a woman and her struggles with pregnancy, the ultimate form of femininity.

This piece of Schiele’s work features a slender woman with her arms across her chest as she leans over her shoulder. This abstractly, warm-colored woman with red hair is asymmetrically balanced yet abnormally proportioned. Most artwork that is conceptualized from the feminine form takes a more curved and soft approach. This hauntingly beautiful portrait is an exceptional rendition of different, yet equally as stunning, female form.

Marlene Dumases work delves deep into topics such as eroticism and segregation. This painting delves into the former in this reinterpretation of Snow White, an anti-feministic Disney film. In this photo, Snow White lies in a too-small glass coffin exposing herself to children and other passerby. This unglorified exhibition sheds light on the female oppression that is learned in youth. Dumas so blatantly sexualizes this popular children’s story in a way that it supports the feminist movement by exaggerating the opposition.

Schiele uses clean lines and minimalistic color to draw emphasis to the key features of the woman bending forward in this artwork. The artist adds touches of rose and coral to give dimension to the woman’s shapely hips and protruding bone structure. The woman is thin, almost undernourished, yet still retains her feminine form. This piece, although not as obvious, still showcases sensuality and womanliness.