Gwen John does not seem to be a radical painter. Her colors are subdued, her subjects conservative. The subjects of her portraits brim with restrained interiority, distant and inaccessible. Her oeuvre of portraits consists entirely of women, whom she paints again and again in search of a perfect likeness. My question is: in what ways is John’s portraiture, seemingly conservative in comparison to other artists working out of Paris in the early 20th century, actually deeply subversive?
This is a very interesting artist to take on in terms of making a reference to cultural significance as, like you said, she paints white women in subdued colors – the most common type of portrait painting throughout history. But there’s something about the monotone nature of the pieces that seems to create a distinct atmosphere for me. I am anxious to hear what your take on her art as subversive will be. I can’t think of any points myself, so I’ll be even more baffled to hear the answer to your question!