From the 1850s onwards, the Belgian painter Alfred Stevens built a successful career in Paris as a painter of and for the beau monde, whom he always portrayed in richly decorated interiors. The approach in the Artist in her studio, one of his favourite topics, is rather unusual, since 19th century women were generally depicted as models or admirers and rarely as artists. The mirror here is not a symbol of vanity but a practical tool for painting a self-portrait. Stevens most likely depicted one of his female students. Some say it is the most famous of them, the actress Sarah Bernhardt.
| Artist |
Alfred Stevens
RKD
|
|---|---|
| Title | Artist in her Studio |
| Period | 19th century |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | auction stamp bottom right: Vente / de [...] |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1942-C |
| Acquisition credit |
gift
The Friends of the Museum Ghent 1942 |
| Current whereabouts | Work on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1942-C |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1536/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
300189808
figures (representations)
AAT
300124520 interior views AAT 300015638 still lifes AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
31A511
mirror
Iconclass
31A5111 looking in the mirror; (possibly: contemplation of own beauty) Iconclass 31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass 31AA235 sitting figure - AA - female human figure Iconclass 31D15 adult woman Iconclass 47A21 workshop-interior Iconclass 48B1 artist at work, in his workshop Iconclass 48B11 workshop, studio of the artist (in general) Iconclass 48C5142 picture within picture Iconclass 48C515(+0) tools, implements of painter (+ variant) Iconclass 48C5151 easel Iconclass 48C5152 palette Iconclass 48C5153 brushes ~ implements of painter Iconclass 48C5156 frame of painting, etc. Iconclass 61B11 anonymous historical person portrayed Iconclass 61B111 anonymous historical person portrayed alone Iconclass 61BB2 historical persons - BB - woman Iconclass 61E(PARIS) names of cities and villages (PARIS) Iconclass |
| School / Style | realism (artistic form of expression) AAT |
| Alfred Stevens 1823 - 1906 / Christiane Lefebvre, Véronique Leport. - Paris : Brames & Lorenceau Editions, 2006 (p. 94 (ill.), 96-97: 'le portrait de profil d'une femme-peintre - Sarah Bernhardt peut-être - devant son chevalet, s'appliquant à s'autoportraiturer') |
| Kunstenaarsportretten (uit Antwerpen, Brugge en Gent : tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 26 mei - 19 augustus 2007) / Dorine Cardyn-Oomen, Nanny Schrijvers, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Gent : Vlaamse Kunstcollectie, 2007 (p. 39, nr. 38 (ill.)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. II, p. 312-313 (ill.)) |
| Isala & Louise : Twee vrouwen - Twee verhalen (tentoonstelling Leuven, M-Museum, 08.09 - 27.11.2011) / Eline Sciot. - Leuven : M (Leuven), 2011 |
| Au travail! Les ateliers d'artistes en Belgique au XIXe siècle (exposition Namur, musée Félicien Rops, 21.10.2023 - 10.03.2024) / Laurence Brogniez, Véronique Carpiaux, Tatiana Debroux, Marjan Sterckx. - Namur : Musée Félicien Rops, 2023 ; Milano : Silvana Editoriale, 2023 (p.2) |
|
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