Romaine Brooks, Self-Portrait, 1923. Oil on canvas. Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC.
Romaine Brooks as a child didn’t get the love she needed from her mother, who gave more attention to her insane brother and had no father in her life. This may not seem like a good way to start this off but it explains why her expression reads that she has been hurt and appears lonesome, the great line work, contouring lines of the eyes and face and the use of color gives me this feeling. Her past experience is why I feel the function is personal for the artist. As for me personally, I feel that she is displaying independence being a woman and a woman can stand in a man’s place.
Romaine Brooks as a child didn’t get the love she needed from her mother, who gave more attention to her insane brother and had no father in her life. This may not seem like a good way to start this off but it explains why her expression reads that she has been hurt and appears lonesome, the great line work, contouring lines of the eyes and face and the use of color gives me this feeling. Her past experience is why I feel the function is personal for the artist. As for me personally, I feel that she is displaying independence being a woman and a woman can stand in a man’s place.
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, 1940. Oil on canvas. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
How this painting is a personal function for the artist is that before the time this was painted she was going through a hard time in her life, divorcing her husband who cheated on her. To my understanding she cut her hair afterwards and put on her ex-husbands suit, I believe she did this to say something to the viewers and to whomever her husband slept with, “Hey sleep with him if you want to, but look who’s wearing his clothes.”
How this painting functions personally to me is because like Kahlo she isn’t afraid to be different, lose hair or identity to the public who she loves and wants to be with.
Work Cited
“Self Portrait by Romanie Brooks/American Art.” Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. Smithsonian Institute, N.d. Web. 4 June 2014.
“Self Portrait with Cropped Hair.” The Collection. The Museum of Modern Art. 2014.Web. 4 June 2014.
How this painting is a personal function for the artist is that before the time this was painted she was going through a hard time in her life, divorcing her husband who cheated on her. To my understanding she cut her hair afterwards and put on her ex-husbands suit, I believe she did this to say something to the viewers and to whomever her husband slept with, “Hey sleep with him if you want to, but look who’s wearing his clothes.”
How this painting functions personally to me is because like Kahlo she isn’t afraid to be different, lose hair or identity to the public who she loves and wants to be with.
Work Cited
“Self Portrait by Romanie Brooks/American Art.” Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. Smithsonian Institute, N.d. Web. 4 June 2014.
“Self Portrait with Cropped Hair.” The Collection. The Museum of Modern Art. 2014.Web. 4 June 2014.