Images of Women
Why might an artist choose to paint a human figure?
What kinds of choices do artists make when
creating an image of a person?
Let’s look closely at Woman I by Willem de Kooning…
How would you describe this
work to another person?
What do you notice about the
application of paint and
brushwork? The colors? The
background?
Willem de Kooning. Woman, I. 1950-52
If you were to recreate the
physical gestures de Kooning
made as he painted Woman, I,
what would they look like?
Willem de Kooning. Woman, I. 1950-52
How is Woman I different from these other
representations of women?
How is it similar?
Venus von Willendorf paleolithic sculpture, image protected under Creative Commons by Oke
Pinup Girl image protected under Creative Commons by Tor Kristensen
Let’s compare Woman, I to another Abstract
Expressionist painting, Gaea by Lee Krasner…
Lee Krasner. Gaea. 1966.
What words would use to describe this painting?
Do you see anything that resembles a body or a face in this painting?
What words would you
use to describe this
image?
Anselm Feuerbach, 1875 image licensed under Creative Commons
Let’s take a closer look…
Lee Krasner. Gaea. 1966.
Do you see any lines, forms or gestures that evoke
a sense of the movement or shifting forms?
Anselm Feuerbach, 1875 image licensed under Creative Commons
Compare and contrast these works…
Lee Krasner. Gaea. 1966.
Willem de Kooning. Woman, I. 1950-52
How do they represent the female figure?
How do they define space?
How are their gestures similar? How are they different?