Classical

Morality in Art

Morality is the distinction between what is right and wrong, just and unjust. Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher of the Classical era, states that those who are capable of reason are sovereigns in the moral domain. According to Kant, women were not included as those who are capable of reason. Kant remarks that "[a] woman who has a head full of Greek, like Mme Dacier, or carries on fundamental controversies about mechanics, like the Marquise de Châtelet, might as well have a beard" (Mosser, Kurt.). To Kant, a scholarly and accomplished woman might as well be a man. The female artists of the Classical era were subdued by the European patriarchy that was amplified by Enlightenment thinkers like Kant. Female artists struggled and underwent greater magnitudes of difficulty to achieve recognition. In this gallery, I present three different artists who, despite the patriarchy, established themselves as artisans in their own right and paved the way for the women after them.

 

 Angelica Kauffman

Angelica Kauffman, Design

London, c. 1778 - 1780

Oil on canvas

 

In chronological order, I present Design by Angelica Kauffman. A female artist is shown observing and drawing a bust. An ode to Roman and Greek cultures is seen in the columns in the background and the column the bust rests upon. The artist is dressed in rumpled working clothes with sleeves pulled up to emphasize the intensity of designing. The pink color of the clothes details the femininity of the artist while the blue garment to the right of the bust indicates masculinity. The juxtaposition of color is a glaring reminder of gendered roles in the 18th century. The interaction of the artist and their model is captured in the artist's gaze. The sightlines draw us to the bust, while the angled and bent-over bust draws us back to the artist. Kauffman elegantly captures the contextual history of gender within Design. 

 

Design is one piece in a series of four works. The four pieces are collectively titled "Elements of Art": Invention, Composition, Design, and Colour. The piece shows a typical scenario faced by female artists in the 18th century. Female artists were forbidden to observe nude males in their designs (“Angelica Kauffman Artworks & Famous Paintings.”). This is why the artist in Design has to look to a classical bust to recreate the male anatomy. Kauffman's male colleagues were able to progress to the next stage and draw life models, but female artists were forbidden (“Design: Works of Art: RA Collection: Royal Academy of Arts.”). The blatant double standard prevented many female artists from progressing in their work and allowed male artists more opportunities to proceed. To even paint a classical bust of a male nude was considered unusual and frowned upon (“Angelica Kauffman Artworks & Famous Paintings.”). Kauffman challenges the patriarchy's moral verdict on women's ability to paint the male nude in Design.

 

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait With Straw Hat

France, 1782

Oil on canvas

Following Design by Angelica Kauffman, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun presents Self-Portrait With Straw Hat. On a sky blue and cloudy background, Le Brun paints herself in attire befitting aristocracy and with a painter's palette and brush. Pink, a commonly used color in the Rococo period, takes over her dress and the blush on her cheeks. Youth and beauty radiate from her almond-shaped eyes, rose-colored lips, and low-cut bodice. The color of the pink dress along with the color of the black garment wrapping her body embrace the motif of seduction and feminine allure. The dress also shows her wealth and her skill as an artist in capturing the folds and wrinkles of garments. What would appear as a juxtaposition to male artists, Le Brun also holds paintbrushes and a pallet - her profession. Le Brun portrays herself proudly as a confident woman and as a skilled artist by profession through Self-Portrait with Straw Hat.

 

Le Brun faced many difficulties as a female artist. However, she finally found her break when she was granted patronage from Queen Marie-Antoinette. Despite painting more than thirty portraits of the Queen and her family, Le Brun's skill as an artist was still challenged. Her application to join the Académie Royale was rejected, however not due to her skill, but because her husband was an art dealer which was against the admissions. Queen Marie-Antoinette needed to officially intervene so that Le Brun could be admitted in 1783 (The National Gallery, London.). The piece, Self-Portrait With Straw Hat by Le Brun is an ode to the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (“Vigée Le Brun Artworks & Famous Paintings.”). Peter Paul Rubens painted The Straw Hat for Susannah Lunden. However, in Rubens' painting, there is no straw hat. To teasingly correct the Old Master, she accurately portrays herself with a straw hat (The National Gallery, London.). Despite the many challenges Le Brun faced in her life, she was able to playfully poke at the Old Masters with the awareness that she is worthy of doing so.

 

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Self-Portrait With Two Pupils

France, 1785

Oil on canvas

Lastly, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard presents Self-Portrait With Two Pupils. In the piece, Labille-Guiard is seen with two female pupils. She is seen sitting on a green velvet chair with a golden border as her two pupils look on from behind. Her left foot rests on the easel of the piece she is painting. Labille-Guiard is wearing an incredibly lavish blue dress that spills over her onto the floor. In contrast, her pupils wear muted earth tones to keep the attention on Labille-Guiard. Much like the self-portrait of Le Brun, Labille-Guiard is seen with paintbrushes and a palette in hand and also wearing a lavish dress. The setting pictured is one of excellence and aristocracy. Labille-Guiard captures the intensity of wealth through more minute details like the marble busts in the background and the red upholstered bench in the foreground. 

Labille-Guiard was admitted to the Académie Royale with Le Brun in 1783. At the time, the number of women artists eligible for membership was capped at four. The piece is interpreted as advocacy for the inclusion of women artists within the Académie Royale (Metmuseum.org). Her motivations for this piece are further outlined in her advocacy outside of the paintings. In a meeting held on September 23, 1780, Labille-Guiard proposed two motions: women be admitted in unlimited numbers, and be permitted to serve on the organization's board. Both motions were approved (“Adélaïde Labille-Guiard.”). Labille-Guiard advocated for younger female artists and was successful in her endeavors.

 

Women in Art

The Classical era of art, the 18th century, was a difficult time for women practicing art. Many barriers were in place to prevent their growth in comparison to their male colleagues. Enlightenment thinkers like Kant who believed that a scholarly woman was a man further reinforced the patriarchy of the European male. Fortunately, women like Kauffman, Le Brun, and Labille-Guiard were able to beat the odds and gain their well-deserved recognition. It would be beyond a tragedy for their works to not be preserved and celebrated. Their art, beyond the advocacy on behalf of women, complements the human experience and captures the audience in wistful contemplation.   

Works Cited

“Adélaïde Labille-Guiard.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad%C3%A9la%C3%AFde_Labille-Guiard#cite_note-Auricchio_2009-1.

“Angelica Kauffman Artworks & Famous Paintings.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/kauffman-angelica/artworks/.

“Design: Works of Art: RA Collection: Royal Academy of Arts.” Design | Works of Art | RA Collection | Royal Academy of Arts, www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/design. 

Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436840.

 Mosser, Kurt. “Kant and Feminism.” ECommons, 1999, ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub/21/.

The National Gallery, London. “Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.” The National Gallery, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/international-womens-day-elisabeth-louise-vigee-le-brun.

“Vigée Le Brun Artworks & Famous Paintings.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/vigee-le-brun-elisabeth-louise/artworks/.