A Woman Seated Beside a Vase of Flowers.Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas Degas To release and vent gases. New building materials often give off gases and odors and the air should be well circulated to remove them. Mentioned in: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (French, 1834-1917) A Woman Seated Beside a Vase of Flowers (Madame Paul Valpincon?), 1865 Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2" (74 x 93 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest bequest: see legacy. of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (29.100.128). A vase overflowing with a bouquet of summer flowers dominates this composition. A pitcher of water stands beside a pair of gloves on the table. A woman leans on her elbow and brings her hand to her jaw. She fixes her gaze on something outside the picture frame. The viewer has a dynamic experience when looking at this painting. At first, the abundant flowers are arresting, but once one's focus moves to the woman it is hard to turn back to the flowers. Is this a portrait that marginalizes its human subject? Is it a genre painting genre painting Painting of scenes from everyday life, of ordinary people at work or play, depicted in a realistic manner. In the 18th century, the term was used derogatorily to describe painters specializing in one type of picture, such as flowers, animals, or middle-class with hints at a narrative? Is it a still life? Degas' painting provokes these and other intriguing in·trigue n. 1. a. A secret or underhand scheme; a plot. b. The practice of or involvement in such schemes. 2. A clandestine love affair. v. questions. By placing the woman at the margin, Degas challenges the category of portraiture portraiture, the art of representing the physical or psychological likeness of a real or imaginary individual. The principal portrait media are painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. From earliest times the portrait has been considered a means to immortality. , which typically directs the viewer toward the sitter. By stretching the boundaries of portraiture, introducing an element of still life and a suggestion of narrative, Degas creates a painting open to a variety of interpretations. Activity Ask your students to write a story describing the woman in the painting. Who is she? What is she feeling and thinking? What happened before she sat down? What will happen next? Carolyn Halpin-Healy, independent museum educator on the teaching staff of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
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