This was a wonderful exhibition, of art produced by women between 1880-1965. There were a lot of portraits, many of women and children, which I thought were fantastic, as well as some early photographs and a room of landscape and abstract art which are not to my taste and therefore left me underwhelmed. I had a discussion with one of the gallery attendants, and she said there had been criticism of the exhibition from the audience, as there was a lot of portraiture. We agreed that this was because women artists painted what was available to them - painting their friends and children probably meant there were no models fees. Also, male artists were less likely to paint women and children as commissioned works were typically of affluent people and more men made their living from commissioned work.
I did a quick check of attendees by gender for the 2 hours 30 minutes that I was in the exhibition. 44 women, 25 men and 2 children. I had expected there to be far more women. But it was New Year's Eve and maybe there were more older couples attending as a day out. There was definitely quite a high proportion of older couples.
So I tried to set some rules to analyse the exhibition, practising my content analysis. I looked at artist; gender of image; adult/child; number in image; head/half length/full length portrait; which side of face portrayed; eye position/gaze.
1880-1910
Bessie McNicol
F; head portrait; gaze forward and level; left side of face
F; head portrait; gaze to the left and level; left side of face
F; head portrait; gaze forward and level; front of face
Margaret Campbell MacPherson
F; head portrait; gaze to left; front of face
Mary Cameron
M x 3; half length; gaze 3 x down; 2 x right side of face, 1 x left; proposed 4 times to Royal Scottish Academy and rejected each time)
Stansmore Dean Stevenson
M; head portrait; gaze level; left side of face (Ambiguous name may have enabled
F; head portrait; gaze level; front of face acceptance in exhibitions).
Phoebe Anna Tranquair
Angels; full length; gaze askance and down; left side of face;
M faun; full length; gaze up; front of face
Flora MacDonald Reid
M x 3; full length; gaze down and away; right side of face x 1, left side of face x 2
1910-1930
Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh
F 1+8; 1 x full length, 8 x head portrait; eyes closed; right side of face x 1, front of face x 8.
Jessie King
F + frog; full length; left profile; gaze ahead; left side of face
Eleanor Allen Moore
F; half length self portrait; gaze level and left; left side of face
Mabel Pryde Nicholson
F and M; full length; children; side profile and full face; gaze forward and level x 2
(Always paid her children as models)
F; full length; gaze forward and level; left side of face
Cecile Walton
F and M; half length; gaze forward and level x 2; (Short art career due to divorce and child
F and M; half length; gaze left x 2 responsibilities)
Dorothy Johnstone
F; full length; gaze level and direct; front of face
F; half length; gaze left and forward, leant forward; front of face
F child; half length; gaze right and level; right side of face
F child; F x 8; Full length; mixed gaze aspects, no gaze visible; Life class image, with self portrait teaching in background
F; full length; gaze forward and up
Margaret Morris
Landscape
Beatrice Huntington
M; Head portrait; Spanish; gaze left and level; right side of face
F; head portrait; gaze right and up; left side of face
Norah Neilson Gray
F and child; full length; gaze to child; left side of face
M and W; 17; full length multiple gazes - no gaze visible; war hospital.
Doris Zinkeisen
F; head portrait; level gaze to left; left side of face; clear wedding ring visible
Dorothy Carlton Smyth
F; half length self portrait; Gaze left and level; left side of face. 1st female Director of Glasgow School of Art; died of brain haemorrhage prior to taking position.
Mary Armour
F; half length; gaze left and level; facing forward; Had to give up full time work due to marriage bar.
Anne Redpath
F; half length; gaze forward and down; left side of face.
1930-1950
Isabel Brodie Babianska
F; half length self portrait; gaze left and up; left side of face
Margaret Oliver Brown
F; self portrait; half length; gaze right and up, right side of face
Agnes Miller Parker
Multiple people; full length; modernism. No gaze
Multiples people full length; modernism. No gaze
Cathleen Mann
F; 3/4 length; Gaze down and left; left side of face
Ethel Walker
F x 4; full length; Nude, outdoor; gaze down and right; 2 x left side of face, 2 rear view
Anne Finlay
M, full length; gaze up and left; left side of face. Combines portrait, interior and sill life.
Bet Low
M; full length; gaze down; right side of face.
Doris Zinkiesen
M x 2; full length nude; no gaze. Caused outrage when exhibited - female artist with male nude, "looks like Belsen victim"
Margaret Melles
Wood; constructivism; abstract
Louise Annand
Abstract
Margaret Sandeman
3 - 1 F, 2 ?; gaze direct x 1, non x 2; left side of face x 1
M; half length; gaze ahead; left side of face
Joan Eardley
3 x boys; no gaze; 2 x left side of face; 1 right side of face
Anne Redpath
Interior; chair, shoes, rug
Interior; mantlepiece
Mary Armour
Still life; fruit and jugs
Still life; vase and flowers
Wilhemina Barnes Graham
Interior; easel, stool
Landscape; box factory.
1950-65
Anne Redpath
Coastscape, Corsice
Bet Low
Abstract, river and water
Wilhelmina Barnes Graham
Abstract; Glacier
Abstract; Red
Joan Eardley
Fishing Village
The Wave, seascape
Sleeping Nude. Received mega criticism- female artist and male nude.
Margaret Millis
Abstract; Flowers
Abstract; Shapes
Pat Douthwaite
Abstract; man.
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