Feminsim In The Space Of Art

[kiana-han]

Top- Marry Cassatt, Mother and Child, 1890, oil on canvas

In the depicting of the Mother and her child, the viewer experiences the maternal warmth and comfort provided in this relationship. This painting being created from that of a woman and therefore, female perspective

Bottom- Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Aline Renoir Nursing her Baby, 1915, oil on canvas

Similarly depicting a mother and her child, this painting holds an alluring and sensual feeling rather than maternal warmth seen from the gaze of the woman and the exposed breast. A perspective created from a male eye. 

[kiana-han]

Top- Berthe Morisot, On the Balcony, 1871-72, oil on canvas

In the depiction of a woman looking out on a balcony, note the boundary that is placed that divides her and the public space. From how she is drawn compositionally, the viewer feels a sense of passiveness form the woman depicted.

Bottom- Gustave Caillebotte, Young Man at His Window, 1875, oil on canvas

Despite similarly depicting a man looking out a balcony/window, the view sees a sense of dominance or power of the man and what he is looking upon. From his stance to how he is drawn with the spatial order. This also further alluded by the portion of title “His Window”/

[kiana-han]

Top- Berthe Morisot, Summer's Day, 1879, oil on canvas

Depicting a middle or upper-class woman in a boat with her chaperon(as woman could not go out alone). Note the stiffness in her posture and the divide felt between her and outside of the boat.

Bottom- Edouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1881-82, oil on canvas

Depicting woman working in a bar, a very uncommon and odd thing of the time. Note the man in the mirror on the right of the painting, implying a male gaze and sexualization of the woman.

[kiana-han]

Top-  Mary Cassatt, At the Opera, 1879, oil on canvas

This painting revolves around the subject not as an individual, but gives introduces a scene of a woman interacting with her surroundings.

Bottom- Pierre Auguste Renoir, La Loge (The Theater Box), 1874, oil on canvas

This painting looks at the woman directly in a voyeuristic way and shows a clear sexualization of the subject