Gwen John is an artist that caught my eye while in the Tate Britain. Her painting at first seemed simple, a portrait of a woman reading from a book. It was such an elegant piece, simply capturing a moment, a snapshot into this woman’s life. When I was told that John almost exclusively painted woman in these kinds of portraits I immediately looked up her wikipedia page to confirm my suspicions. I was happy to see that I was correct in my guess, that John was a queer woman, bisexual in fact.
It is very rare for me to find the historical work of queer artists in the world, as oftentimes it is hidden or not spoken of, especially in academic settings. When I do find these artists I always want to learn more about them, how they incorporated their sexuality into their work, and what it means to them.
In the case of John, I believe her work was certainly an expression of her attraction to women, and while very few of these painting are actually sexualized in any way they instead focus on the beauty of subtlety. The figures in Johns paintings rarely address the viewer, they don’t make eye contact and are often performing some kind of action, almost like they are ignoring the viewer or at the very least not addressing them. Johns paintings make the point that it is the woman in these painting that are the most important subject, but the way she paints them captures their beauty in a unique way.
They are not posed to show off or to make a statement. Her works instead focus on the sunny afternoons sitting in the sun, or the rainy days when a young women will sit in with her cat and read from her favorite book. These paintings come from a place of admiration for the everyday, from a place of love that appreciates the little moments.
I find Gwen John’s work lovely, not just for their meaning but also for their great skill. I will have to be on the lookout for an artbook of hers in the future.
Sources:
John, Gwen. “Girl Reading at the Window.” WikiArt, www.wikiart.org/en/gwen-john/girl-reading-at-the-window-1911.
John, Gwen. “Interior with Figures.” WikiArt, www.wikiart.org/en/gwen-john/interior-with-figures-1899.
John, Gwen. “The Precious Book.” WikiArt, www.wikiart.org/en/gwen-john/interior-with-figures-1899.