museum of fine arts

13 Feb

Posted at 20:31h in art history, courtesans, Metropolitan Museum, museum of fine arts, philadelphia museum of art, Women's History by
The world's museums are full of scandals and secrets.  John Singer Sargent's portrait of Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, known simply as Madame X, is a great example.  When it Scandals and Secrets, example Sargent's Madame X Sargent's Madame X, the original, with the fallen shoulder strap was unveiled at the 1884 Paris Salon, it caused such a scandal that Sargent's career was almost destroyed.  Who after all would want to hire a portrait-painter who caused scandals at the Salon?  It was also damaging, of course, for Gautreau's reputation as a society beauty.  Her family begged Sargent to withdraw the painting from the Salon, but he refused.  After the Salon, however, he repainted the detail that had caused the biggest scandal.

08 Aug

Posted at 10:59h in art history, museum of fine arts by
In this painting the artist is telling you just what Professor Lear says so often, that the painting is intended as sexy. You might think that the kind of shepherd-love fantasy that the painting portrays is inherently innocent, but if you look at it, you might notice signs of erotic heat, particularly in the facial expressions. And Boucher makes clear that the scene is not innocent by calling it, "Are They Thinking About the Grape?" I guess not then.... Want to see learn more about the sexy side of great art? Come on the Shady Ladies of the MFA tour, and while you are there, catch the "Casanova's Europe" exhibit, with this painting among many other fun ones! Learn more bit.ly/2wE18i9

20 Jun

Posted at 00:52h in art history, museum of fine arts, nasty women, Women's History by
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is of course one of the world's great museums.  It is also a great place for a women's history tour.  There are very few of the courtesans or mistresses that make up our Shady Ladies tour in New York:  I suspect that the Boston collectors of the 19th century were too prudish to buy pictures on themes they knew were racy.  But the museum has a great collection of what we're calling (ironically) "nasty women"—feisty, ambitious women from many periods of history.

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