RIHA Journal 0202 | 30 November 2018 Friendship in Representation The Collaborative Portraits by Jeanna au!" an# ertha $e%mann Carina Rech &e'artment o( Culture an# Aestheti!s) Sto!"holm University Abstract ,ver a -uarter.!entury, the *!an#inavian artists Jeanna au!" an# ertha $e%mann 'ainte# a series o( 'ortraits an# interiors in whi!h they !ommente# u'on their share# i#entity as women artists while mi%ratin% between the artisti! centers o( Muni!h) Paris) an# Co'enha%en1 &rawin% (rom (eminist an# 'er(orman!e theory, an# !on!entratin% on three 'aintin%s in whi!h au!" an# $e%mann ima%ine one another as emer%in% 'ro(essional artists by me#iate# sel(.re'resentation) the 'a'er #is!usses the two artists2 !ollaborative 'ra!ti!es1 The artists2 !orres'on#en!e /ith their mutual (rien# an# !ollea%ue Hil#e%ar# Thorell) "e't in the ar!hive o( Nor#is"a 0useet in *to!"holm) is 'resente# here (or the 3rst time an# 'rovi#es im'ortant insi%hts into their artisti! !om'anionshi'1 This !ase stu#y (orms 'art o( an on%oin% #issertation 'ro4e!t on Nor#i! women painters2 sel(.re'resentations in the late nineteenth century1 Contents Intro#u!tion Role Reversal in the Stu#io A Double5#) Portrait Hil#e%ar# Thorell’s Corres'on#en!e Rituals o( Frien#shi' on Pa'er an# Canvas Per(ormin% Com'anionshi', Visuali9in% A:e!tion – Bertha We%mann’s Portraits o( Jeanna Bau!" Con!lu#in% Remar"s Intro#u!tion <1= This 'a'er e>'lores a series o( (rien#shi' 'ortraits !reate# by the *!an#inavian 'ainters Jeanna au!" (1840-1926) an# ertha $e%mann (1846-1926). &rawin% on 'er(ormative a''roa!hes to 'ortraiture) whi!h hi%hli%ht the sitter’s share in the ma"in% o( an ima%e) I un#erstan# the wor"s as !ollaborative en#eavors in (sel(.6 re'resentation1 Throu%h their me#iate# sel(.re'resentation) I ar%ue that au!" an# $e%mann #evelo'e# a share# i#entity in 'aintin%) thereby e>'lorin% ne/ ways o( visuali9in% their 'ro(essional role an# !hallen%in% late nineteenth.!entury %en#er hierar!hies1 eyon# 'rovi#in% !lose rea#in%s o( three sele!te# 'aintin%s) this arti!le 'resents !om'rehensive) to this #ay un'ublishe# ar!hival evi#en!e (rom the estate o( their !lose (rien# Hil#e%ar# Thorell (1850-1930), a (ello/ artist1 The !orres'on#en!e RIHA Journal 0202 | 30 November 2018 between the three !ollea%ues reveals not only ne/) !riti!al in(ormation on the 'aintin%s an# their !reation) but also 'ays vivi# testimony to the sense o( !ommunity amon% as'irin% women artists in that perio#1 Role Reversal in the *tu#io <2= In the be%innin% o( the movie The &anish Cirl (2015), the !amera enters the Co'enha%en wor"sho' o( the art nouveau 'ainter Cer#a $e%ener 51886-1940), 'laye# by Ali!ia 8i"an#er1 An un"nown an# rather sti: %entleman has ta"en a seat on a small 'e#estal to have his 'ortrait 'ainte#) a''arently (eelin% -uite un!om(ortable1 As he tries to %et a %lim'se o( the !anvas on /hi!h the artist is wor"in%) $e%ener observes him !losely an# 'i!"s u' on his uneasiness1 Rather amuse# an# smo"in% a !i%arette) she ironi!ally !omments u'on his behaviorD EIt’s har# (or a man to be loo"e# at by a woman1 $omen are use# to it o( !ourse) but (or a man to submit to a woman’s %a9e F1 It’s unsettlin%1E1 In this initial s!ene) Cer#a $e%ener re(ers to the !ommon rules o( the %a9e an# %en#er hierar!hies in art) as they tra#itionally 'lay out between a male artist an# his female mo#el in the stu#io s'a!e1 <3= This theme o( reverse# %a9es 'lays a !ru!ial role in an interior 'aintin% by the *we#ish artist Jeanna au!") whi!h probably ori%inate# in the 1870s in 0uni!h (Fi%. 161 It shows a s!ene stri"in%ly similar to the above.mentione# 3lmi! en!ounter1 au!" has #e'i!te# her (ello/ !ollea%ue an# (rien#) the &ane ertha $e%mann 'aintin% the 'ortrait o( a our%eois %entleman sittin% in a !hair in the artist’s stu#io1 Throu%h au!"’s eyes we are observin% $e%mann at wor"1 *'ea"in% with $e%ener in the 3lm s!ene) the male sitter has to submit to a #ouble (emale %a9eD that o( $e%mann stu#yin% her mo#el) an# that o( au!" observin% the sittin%1 I( /e in!lu#e the behol#er’s %a9e !omin% (rom outsi#e the 'i!ture 'lane) it a##s u' to three observers) an# the genre s!ene from a portraitist’s stu#io turns into a comment on women artists2 so!ial 'osition an# %en#er hierar!hies in nineteenth.!entury visual !ulture1 The stu#io eventually un(ol#s as a s'a!e in /hi!h subversive a!ts in re'resentin% (emale artisti! a%en!y be!ome possible1 1 The Danish Cirl) #irecte# by Tom Hoo'er) +niversal *tu#ios, +*AH+IHCermanyHDenmar"H el%ium) 201B1 RIHA Journal 0202 | 30 November 2018 1 Jeanna au!") The Danish Artist ertha $e%mann Paintin% a Portrait) 18G0s, oil on canvas, 100 > 110 cm1 Nationalmuseum) *tockholm (Publi! #omain6 <?= The 'aintin%’s unusual sub4e!t matter reverses the 'atriar!hal e!onomy o( the %a9e in an imme#iate manner12 In her inJuential arti!le 8isual Pleasure an# Narrative Cinema) Kaura 0ulvey em'loye# 'sychoanalyti! theory to ar%ue that !lassi! Hollywoo# movies inevitably 'ut the s'e!tator in a mas!uline sub4e!t 'osition) while the woman on s!reen 3%ures as an ob4e!t o( #esire (or the male %a9e13 0ulvey’s ar%ument hol#s true (or the un#erlyin% %en#ere# #ynami!s o( vision in the nineteenth !entury, a!!or#in% to whi!h men were to embo#y a!tive loo"in%) while women /ere to be loo"e# at or #is'laye#1? However) as Alexan#ra I1 $ettlau(er re!ently has !laime# in relation to the nineteenth.!entury Fren!h an# British contexts) 27rances or9ello has 'ostulate# in her overvie/ account on /omen artists throu%hout history that they never have reverse# the masculine scheme o( %a9es an# #are# to 'lace a man in the stu#io1 $hile this #oes not hol# true (or the case o( Jeanna au!") the statement nevertheless accentuates the e>!e'tionality o( the */e#ish artist2s com'osition1 7rances or9ello) Ihre ei%ene $elt1 7rauen in #er Iunst%eschichte) Hil#esheim 2000) 1B21 3 Kaura 0ulvey) E8isual Pleasure an# Narrative CinemaE) inD *creen 1A (1@GB6) no1 3) A-181 John er%er has claime# that the same a''lies to the %reat ma4ority o( $estern art in %eneralD E0en loo" at /omen1 $omen /atch themselves bein% loo"e# at1 <F= The surveyor o( /oman hersel( is maleD the surveye# (emaleD Thus she turns hersel( into an ob4ect ; an# most 'articularly an ob4ect o( visionD a si%ht1E John er%er) $ays o( *eein%) Kon#on 1@G2) ?G1 ,n the %a9e as art historical term see 0ar%aret ,lin) ECa9eE) inD Critical Terms (or Art History) e#1 Robert *1 Nelson an# Richar# *hi:) Chica%o 1@@A) 318-32@1 Althou%h her te>t continues to be /i#ely receive#) 0ulvey has been critici9e# (or i%norin% the (emale behol#er2s 'osition an# (or lackin% a 'ost. colonial or -ueer 'erspective1 *ee ell Hooks, "The ,''ositional Ca9eD la!" 7emale *'ectatorE) inD i#em) la!" Kooks: Race an# Re'resentation) oston 1@@2) 11B-131L Patri" *teorn) E li!"ens erotiska (ostranE) inD Ti#skri(t (Mr Cenusvetenska' ? 520136) B8.A21 RIHA Journal 0202 | 30 November 2018 *i%ni3!ant numbers o( women artists wor"e# /ithin an# a%ainst stru!tures o( the %a9e to !laim a 5!onteste#6 sub4e!t 'osition) an# the ra#i!al ima%e o( a (emale sub4e!t re'resentin% the worl# 'resente# an unmista"able !hallen%e to so!ial an# aestheti! i#eolo%ies with a canny no# to the power o( vision1B A!!or#in%ly, in her stu#io interior Jeanna au!" subverts 'atriar!hal stru!tures o( the %a9e an# countera!ts the ob4e!ti3!ation o( women in paintin%1 <B= Presumably, !ontem'orary observers woul# imme#iately have rea!te# u'on the unusual sub4e!t matter o( a woman 'ainter1 In 1895, ertha $e%mann attra!te# attention both in the &anish an# */e#ish 'ress) when she re(use# to visit a 'ortrait !ommissioner (or a sittin% in his home) even thou%h it was the 'rime minister J1 1 *1 Nstru'1 Instea#) she insiste# u'on e>e!utin% the 'ortrait in her stu#io1 The *we#ish news'a'er A(tonbla#et a!!ounte# (or the in!i#ent un#er the unmista"ably ironi! hea#line ,ne $ho Nstru' Coul# Not *ub#ue, statin% that Nstru' eventually ha# to loo" (or another portraitist) as both artist an# sitter ha# re(use# to give in1A <A= The subversive role reversal in the stu#io !ontrasts /ith the !onventional re'resentation o( the interior itsel(1 As in many other stu#io interiors o( the time) seemin%ly without any systemi9ation (urniture) ob4e!ts) re-uisites) 'aintin%s) !asts) re'li!as an# the li"e are arran%e# in art(ul #isarray1 ,ne !an #ete!t numerous ob4e!ts in the two women’s share# stu#io) all o( them #eli!ately ren#ere#) ran%in% (rom a 'ort(olio !ontainin% #rawin%s an# 'rints to a re'li!a o( the 8enus #e 0ilo on the !hest o( #rawers in the ba!"1 A 'arasol emulatin% Asian style a##s that little twist o( e>oti!ism that every #e!ent stu#io was su''ose# to 'ossess1 In (ront o( the /in#o/ to the ri%ht some 'lants) a wine bottle) a !olle!tion o( 'aint brushes an# a han# mirror (orm an ol#.masterly still li(e1 The interior balan!es between some sort o( %entle bohemianism) humble inwar#ness an# roote# #omesti!ity, whi!h is !ommonly (oun# in nineteenth.!entury histori!ist stu#io interiors1G ,n the ba!" wall one !an ma"e out the outlines o( a 'ortrait hea#) whi!h I su%%est may be $oman in la!" by ertha $e%mann (rom 1872 57i%1 2).8 The !om'osition) !onsistin% o( a veile# 'erson #resse# in bla!" an# re'resente# in 'ro3le next to a tra'e9oi# sha'e, althou%h e>e!ute# rather s"et!hily, clearly corres'on#s to the paintin% in the Nationalmuseum colle!tion1 ? As *i#sel 0aria *On#er%aar# has 'ointe# out) much o( au#elaire2s /ritin% about the mo#ern e>'erience revolves aroun# "ho/ 'eo'le an# thin%s ma"e their a''earance be(ore others’ %a9es", /ith the clear messa%e that "the man is a behol#er an# the /oman is a visionE1