Young Woman Powdering Herself (French: Jeune femme se poudrant) is an oil on canvas painting executed between 1889–90, by the French painter Georges Seurat.[1] The work, one of the leading examples of pontillism, depicts the artist's mistress Madeleine Knobloch.[2] It is in the collection of the Courtauld Institute of Art and on display in the Gallery at Somerset House.
Seurat kept his relationship with his artist's model Knobloch secret.[3] His relationship to the sitter was concealed when it was exhibited in 1890.[2]
Hidden self-portrait
Since the painting was publicly shown, the wall behind the young woman had displayed a bamboo picture frame showing a vase of flowers.[2] In 2014 using advanced image technology, it was revealed that Seurat had painted himself at his easel, the object on the wall is now believed to be a mirror.[4] After showing the painting to a friend, Seurat painted over the portrait with a table and flowers.[2][3] Ironically, this concealed portrait is the only known self-portrait made by Seurat.
See also
References
- ^ "Young Woman powdering Herself". artandarchitecture.org.uk. Courtauld Institute of Art. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d Jonathan Jones (24 March 2001). "Portrait of the week no. 50 - Young Woman Powdering Herself, Georges-Pierre Seurat (c. 1890)". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ a b Leslie, Tim (4 July 2014). "Before and after: X-ray paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh to reveal their surprising stories". ABC News (Australia). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ Alberge, Dalya (28 March 2014). "Georges Seurat's secret self-portrait sees light of day". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
External links
Media related to Young Woman Powdering Herself at Wikimedia Commons
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