A unique feature of Mary Cassatt’s art is the unadorned, accurate representation of women who play the most crucial role of mothers. Cassatt’s paintings depicted the daily lives of mothers and wives as if showing that outstanding actions are performed not only on the battlefield (Pollock, 2018). Thus, the artist, as it were, opposed the notion rooted in society that a man has a more significant meaning. The painting “Mother and Child” (1905) is one of the ways to convey the struggle for the importance of preserving the rights and freedoms of women in a masculine society. Cassat conveyed her views not only through the image of the importance of the everyday achievements of mothers but also through external components. Hence, “Cassatt’s painting emphasizes the role of the mirror in inculcating an idea of femininity as something mediated through observation” (Chadwick & Frigeri, 2020, p. 243). Thus, it can be said that Mary Cassatt was a representative of the feminist movement, which opposed the understanding that everything in the world is inherently masculine.
Paula Modersohn-Becker was a pioneer in creating a genre of paintings depicting nude self-portraits of women. Thus, she became part of a new generation that opposed the postulates and norms built in the past centuries, which is an aspect of modernity (ART/GEND 4070 “Masculine Modernism,” June/July 2022). Therefore, by creating her works, the artist somehow destroyed the traditional understanding of art and its role in society. Thus, through her self-portraits, Modersohn-Becker conveyed the need for women to stand up for their rights in the political and social sphere.
Furthermore, “Self-Portrait with Amber Necklace” is an excellent example of the artist’s work. Resources state that “Modest gains made by women in education and employment in France at the end of the nineteenth century provoked an intense anti-feminist backlash” (Chadwick & Frigeri, 2020, p. 260). “Self-Portrait Nude with Amber Necklace” has become a provocative and discussed work, as previously, no one dared to create so openly and vulnerable paintings. In particular, it was the male prerogative and the basis of the work of male artists in all eras of art. The work of Modersohn-Becker was a breakthrough in that it showed that women also have the right and freedom to create similar works. Thus, she proclaimed the importance of equalizing the position of male and female artists and providing equal importance.
Frida Kahlo is one of the most prominent figures in the struggle for women’s rights in all spheres of society. A unique feature of her work was the transmission of hardships she had to go through in the male world. Therefore, “when Kahlo abandoned hope in her daily life, Kahlo embedded her despair within paintings, which, under their very existence, act as the artist’s envoys in search of salvation” (Udall, 2003, p. 10). Through the “Broken Column,” the artist especially acutely and touchingly conveys the pain that she had to endure. She shows that the unshakeable pillar that shows her strength and soul is all broken. The nude figure shows the vulnerability of female nature. Thus, the artist’s works became a protest against a patriarchal society in which women’s feelings were suppressed and had no value.
Eva Hesse’s” Hang Up” is a unique work of art, the interpretation of which is quite a complex action. The primary tool in her works was abstraction, which she used to convey the main idea. Sources underline that this work” implied content that could not be accommodated by formalist aesthetics, or by reducing the significance of gender to the sex of the artist or her conscious intentions” (Chadwick & Frigeri, 2020, p. 307). Hesse has shown that such a seemingly simple job can be of critical importance and put women on the same pedestal as men.
References
Chadwick, W. & Frigeri, F. (2020). Women, art, and society. Thames & Hudson.
Pollock, G. (2018). Modernity and the spaces of femininity. The Expanding Discourse, pp. 244-267.
Udall, S. R. (2003). Frida Kahlo’s Mexican body: History, identity, and artistic aspiration. Woman’s Art Journal, 24(2), 10-14.