It’s time for my monthly round-up of pastels but I decided to do something a little bit different this time. I was looking through a little book I have called Women Artists put out by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Funnily enough, on the same
The painter I’ve chosen is the French female artist Marie-Geneviève Navarre (1737-1795). Navarre, whose teacher was the famous Maurice Quentin de la Tour, became well-known for her pastel portraits, a genre that had become fashionable in the 18th century. The one I have here to share with you is not of a member of the royal court. By her dress and demeanour, we might guess that this woman is instead, middle-class. The painting has such a luminous feel and presents this seated woman with such clarity. I’m sure she will speak to us any minute now!
Notice that the main colour scheme is basically a blue/orange one. The figure is set slightly left of centre leaving room for the chair she sits on. The woman looks out but not with a direct gaze at us, the viewer. Instead, she looks slightly off to the right, just over our shoulder. She seems comfortable. She’s at ease in her pose and with being painted even showing a hint of a smile.
Now let’s look at the painting in closer detail.
First, the face. I love the combination
I love the hint of the smile in the lips, a smile that’s reflected in the slight crinkling of the eyes. (You can see the creasing that is beginning to show at the corner of the eye on the right.) A cast shadow from the bonnet on her face informs us clearly of the direction of the soft light source.
The arms cross each other right at the bottom of the portrait. We see a pair of hands that are accustomed to
And then there’s the fabric, so deceptively simple. Folds are revealed by the curves and loops of pastel with colour and darks and lights defining the form. We feel the texture of the cloth – the dress fabric and the frilly lace at the end of the sleeve. The sheen and colour of the material are all displayed in a few well-placed lines of colour (and value).
This is dark yes? Can you see how Navarre gives us just enough information about the chair yet keeps it sitting in the background, not distracting our attention from the main subject of the woman? Both the dress and the chair are the same colour and value and they, along with the background at this place in the painting, are all kept in the dark value range.
Navarre uses grey pastel to render the woman’s grey hair (is it powdered or is she not so young after all?). She also uses it to create the cast shadow made by the bonnet, to describe the lacy circle around the edge of her headwear, and to describe the shadow sides of the hat itself. Note how the artist incorporates the hairline – it’s not a solid line but a zigzag between hair and skin – subtle and effective.
And finally, there’s the background. (You can read a post I wrote about dealing with backgrounds here.) It’s pretty much a deep blue but it subtly changes from dense dark to a glowing dark. In the detail above you can see how Navarre lightens the background behind the head giving a feeling of space. The figure doesn’t feel cramped nor does it feel cutout against the solidity of a flat dark background.
Here’s a close look at the other side of the painting. I captured this detail crop because I wanted to see if the artist incorporated any of the warm browns used in the figure. I couldn’t see if there was a colouration change in this digital image (has anyone seen the real thing??) but what I did discover was a quietly inserted signature with the date, 1774. Exciting huh?
Sooooooo what do you think of this painting by the lesser known female artist Marie-Geneviève Navarre? I was taken by the physical and emotional impact of the piece. It seems a bit smaller than life-size. Like any painting, I’d love to see it in the real! I hope you’ll leave a comment and tell me what
In this blog post, I wanted to focus on this painting and this artist but I’d like to bring your attention to another lesser known female artist – Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones. I’m reading a fascinating book about this early successful 20th-century female artist. I first encountered her when I saw the painting, The Shoe Shop, at the Art Institute of Chicago a few years ago.
Another fantastic book I’m reading right now is called Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Who Made History (In That Order) (get the title?! Broad strokes) beautifully written and brought to life by the author, Bridget Quinn. I highly recommend it!!
And to finish off books I’m presently reading about female artists, I am soooooo enjoying Ninth Street Women a book that looks at the lives of five women painters – Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell (a favourite of mine!), and Helen Frankenthaler. It really gives you a sense of time and place!!1
Okay, one more – Women Artists: An Illustrated History. This was one I read some time ago and it was a revelation… so many artists I’d never heard of.
And by the way, you may want to check out two earlier blogs, each on a lesser known female artist: Florence Rodway, and Thérèse Schwartze.
Whew!!
And so that’s all for now. Happy International Women’s Day!
Until next time,
Gail
I recommend all the following books!! (To be transparent, if you purchase through these links, I do get a wee commission which all goes into helping support this blog. Thanks!!)
42 thoughts on “Lesser-Known Female Artist Marie-Geneviève Navarre”
Oh how I wish I had been inspired to listen to my poor art teacher at school, who tried to inspire an appreciation for art . Still better late than never. Your blog inspires detailed observation and an insatiable desire to learn.
I do appreciate all the time that you put into preparing these blogs Gail
Ahhhh Gillian, it’s never too late!
And if I have you looking closer and more curiously at artwork, well, my job is done 😀
And thank you!!
Thank you so much for this dissection of Marie-Genevieve Navarre‘s portrait of the young woman in today’s blog. It is exactly the way I love to look at a subject, & why I find my iPad so useful when zooming in on details, skin tones & shadows.
I did thoroughly enjoy the Pastel 101 course ….. & these monthly articles are always covering aspects of pastel work which intrigue me, & help me to improve ….. my fortnightly art class teacher says I have a lot!
You may be interested to look at her own work. She is a member of the French Pastelists …her name is Penny Milner, living here in the Lot, SW France.
Many thanks once again.
Barbie
You are welcome Barbie! And yes, the ability to zoom in on our devices is an extraordinary privilege. Wow lucky we are!! I so appreciate the museums that are putting their collections online for all to see. There’s nothing like seeing the real thing but we certainly have second best nowadays!
I do know Penny’s marvellous work. How wonderful you have her as a teacher! And how happy I am that you enjoyed my Pastels 101 online course and evidently benefited from it 😀
I would LOVE to come and teach a couple of workshop around France so if you have any ideas for doing that, I’d love to hear them!
An inspiring choice! Thank you for shining a light on this lovely work!
So glad you think so MaryLee. I do like the phrase “shining a light” and the idea that I am doing that. Thank you!!
Thank you, Gail! First of all, I love you chose a lesser known artist. Secondly, my first impression was “what a kind face this subject has…”. I could just feel her character as someone greatly loved as a mom or sister.
Sometimes I get stuck on the overall impression, however. Thank you for getting me past that and
taking the picture apart, explaining its structure and nuances. So helpful compositionally…thank you so much!
I agree with you Nancy – such a gentle kind face that suggests a warm and loving woman.
I’m glad to know I’ve helped you see more deeply into the painting, looking beyond an overall impression. We are inundated these days with soooooo many visual delights on social media that it’s easy to pass over each beauty quickly and carelessly rather than taking time with each one. Imagine the days when we had to actually go to a museum or gallery to see the artwork, where often we had the time to spend with an individual painting, to allow it to speak more fully to us.
So happy to be of help!
What a wonderful review of this beautiful piece. I would love to go with you to a museum one day and listen to your thoughts on the different works. As a matter of fact you should add that to any workshop you are doing where there is a museum to visit… kind of a little excursion! I will share this blog on FB today!
Thanks Gisela! And YES, I would LOVE to do a museum excursion along with workshops. A fantastic idea!!!
And thank you for sharing the blog 😀
I really enjoyed looking at this painting under a microscope! You really get a sense of technique and talent. Inspirational. Thank you Gail!
Great to hear Ruth!! I think looking closely at a painting does reveal many more secrets and delights than a cursory look does.
This is stunning! Such skillfully drawn hands! I think all artists struggle, or have struggled, with hands! I did my thesis for my 20th Century Art History Masters degree on Helen Frankenthaler, and was lucky to have seen probably her last exhibition in London some years ago.
Yes, hands! I personally find them the most difficult parts of the human body to executein a way that makes them seem natural. I am always in awe of those who can make them look so simple to do, as Navarre has done here.
How interesting about your thesis on Helen Frankenthaler! I wonder what aspect/slant you took on her and her work for your thesis. Her work is quite extraordinary in the real. I think she is one of those artists whose work is best appreciated face-to-face!
Hi Gail
I chose Frankenthaler for my thesis because I wanted to focus on a woman artist. She was very significant in post war American art, and was a forerunner in using acrylic paint on raw canvas, particularly the use of the drip technique, for which she wasn’t truly recognised. And even today, this is seen very much as only applying to Pollack.
Thanks Diane. I’m glad you took Frankenthaler as your subject. She certainly was an innovator in the painting world!!
Hi Gail,
Thank you for this detailed analysis of Navarre’s painting. It was done in 1774 and look at how brilliant the colors remain! It’s interesting that in 1774, pastel portraits were so popular. I liked examining the individual strokes executed from a hand over 200 years ago and wondering who made the paper she used. It was as enjoyable as going to museums and examining the brushwork of the masters. I would welcome more of this. Very interesting, especially in honor of International Women’s Day. Thank you!
Sally
You are welcome Sally! Yes – 1774 – almost 250 years ago! And as you say – look at the vibrancy of the colour!! I think we’re lucky that pastels had an emergence in the 18th century. Interestingly, it was another female artist – the Venetian pastellist Rosalba Carriera – who helped spark an interest in the medium during her visit to Paris in 1720!
I’m delighted you enjoyed the close look at this painting and that it elicited more questions eg about the paper she used. And happy to do more of these types of blogs!!!
Wow! As a basically self taught artist, I love this in depth study of the different sections of this painting. The hatching marks on the shadow side of the face were a real surprise (I’m a smoother but trying to break free of that). Her skin looks so smooth from a distance.
Seeing the same color used for the sleeve and the wooden chair, and how they add warmth without drawing attention away from the face, brilliant.
And the beauty of the complementary colors overall is amazing. Thank you for taking us on this detailed look at her technique and mark making. It will definitely change the way I view other peoples artwork. I’m filing all of this in my brain and know it will start to appear in my own work. Wonderful.
I love that all the things I pointed out resonated with you Christine! By repeating them back to us and also enlarging our viewing by your own insights, we all learn and absorb. And here’s to it all coming through in your own work!
And I love hearing that you will look at other artwork with a new eye 😀
Love reading your emails/blogs, Gail.
Thank you.
What amazed me about the Marie-Genevieve Navarre picture was how fresh and vibrant a pastel it is after all this time.
Thanks Carol!! You mention the same thing that Sally does above – how fresh this painting looks after close to 250 years! Yay for soft pastels! And also the care that has been taken with this painting.
Loved this article and this painting and all the links to women artists. Actually have the book about Térèsa Schwartze.
Fantastic Nettie. And isn’t the book on Thérèse Schwartzewonderful?? I love that she made her living as an artist.
I always enjoy your scholarly reports. I too noticed the 3D effect the artist achieved. How does one do that? I know, probably with value and marks.
Thanks Marsha. Glad you also noticed the quality of illusion of space in this painting. Perhaps making a copy of it is in order (and perhaps an idea for a Friday Challenge for the HTP Facebook group one of these days!).
Thank you for this wonderful blog post about artists I had not heard of with the exception of Therese Swartze. I thoroughly enjoyed your analysis of the painting by Navarre and the many close up photos you provided. One of your best blogs!
Cynthia Riordan
Ohhhh that’s wonderful to hear Cynthia!! I look forward to doing more.
And I’m delighted to have introduced you to some new artists! Also pleased you already knew of Thérèse Schwartze.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this for us.
The portrait captures a sweet, kind and loving soul.
You give a art history lesson plus a cretique.
I am grateful. 🙏
You are so welcome Rosalie! I love hearing that what I blog about is useful and inspirational 🙂 And I certainly agree with you about the portrait!
Very well done. Really interesting and educational. I think it was an excellent choice to change the format.
Hi Sandy! Glad you enjoyed the post. And I am assuming when you refer to the format you mean doing this close-up of a single (historical) painting rather than my usual round-up. It’s certainly way less work but I like doing both so may split the time between them 😀
Hi Gail
Thank you for bringing this wonderful artist to my attention! I looked further into other pieces she’s produced and found quite a few with that delicious wry smile!
Love the techniques she’s used here giving much character, texture and depth to the piece. The model’s face shines with that smile and slight wet lip, making me want to know more about her story and what hides behind the twinkle in her eye.
Thank you for the recommended reading too – shame we can’t have an online library ‘swap’ for books we could all share!!
Michele x
Love your reaction to this artist and this painting in particular. I feel the same way about the subject – who is she and what is she thinking and feeling.
And yes, I know what you mean about book swapping Michele! I do put my local public library to good use but sometimes the books are so good I just have to have them in my own library 😀
Thanks for the great article about Navarre. I have long admired this painting. Black silk aprons were very fashionable in the early 1770’s. It is wonderful what 18th century pastelists could do with the relatively few colours they had available to them!
Glad you enjoyed it Jennifer. How interesting about the black silk apron popularity in the early 1700s. Love tidbits of info like that! And I guess our subject is still donning that piece of clothing.
Thanks for pointing out that limited colours were available to pastellists in the past. Shows what can be done with relatively few colours!
Dear Gail,
It’s so good to have talked about Marie-Geneviève Navarre and one of her fabulous portraits … it was said that she had passed her master and if the French revolution had not swept too many works at Pastel (work and pleasure of the nobility!) We would talk much more of her.
But for that day, I would like to add a little comment to say that there is in your country a very great lady, one of those women who never stops to go to the end of her dream and her obsession about the art of women or women artists as you want.
This art fighter has won the Legion of Honor in my country, and of course many other awards at home, I’m talking about Mrs. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay.
And this pastel that we study with you from every angle and in every detail … it is this lady who bought it, and who donated it to the museum she created: the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
it was worth a wink …
and I always enjoy all your items, thank you Gail!
Ahhh Jean-François, you are sooooo right about Mrs. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay! She even wrote a memoir/art historical book about the creation of the National Museum of Women in the Arts: A Museum of Their Own! Thanks for commenting on this amazing woman. How interesting that she won the Legion of Honour in France!
As a portrait artist working primarily in pastels I am largely self-taught — and still learning. I very much appreciate your research on this artist as well as your comments on technique. Thank you so much for posting this. 1774. Wow.
Tena lovely to hear from you and how you were affected by this post.
1774. Wow indeed!
What a wonderful blog! I have just been writing about women artists for an online course for Christie’s Education “Old Mistresses’: Fame, Fortune and Female Artists 1500-1900.” I have also just discovered the work of Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones, and love her images of women. I am just about to give three lectures on Liotard and C18th Fashion for the National Gallery London, and will be recommending this blog to participants. I love the way in which you guide close looking.
Jacqui Ansell, Senior Lecturer and Online Tutor Christie’s Education
What a marvellous comment to receive. Thank you so much for leaving it Jacqui. And wow, thank you for recommending my blog to your class participants. I am honoured!
Your course sounds fascinating – all those women, lost to history, but no longer!!