Marie Laurencin was an artist known for her pretty paintings of women, horses, and other elegant subjects. In an interview with Time magazine, she famously questioned why she should paint dead fish and beer glasses when girls are so much prettier. This quote has often been used to characterize Laurencin’s work as light and beautiful, but not necessarily serious.
However, Laurencin’s art goes beyond just prettiness. Her delicate pastel-hued images challenge the traditional male gaze that often objectifies women in art. Instead of painting conventionally attractive nude women, Laurencin creates ethereal figures that seem to come alive before our eyes. These women, along with white horses and a few male figures, interact with each other or gaze out at the viewer, inviting us into a dreamlike world of beauty and grace.
One of Laurencin’s untitled watercolors, for example, shows two femme figures blending into each other amidst soft washes of blue and green. The subtle use of color and form creates a sense of mystery and intrigue in the painting. In another work, “Trois danseuses,” the figures appear more schematic, like dolls in a ballet, but the soft pinks and greens woven throughout the composition give them a sense of life and movement.
In contrast, “Mme Alexandre Rosenberg” is a more somber portrait, with the subject’s pale skin and dark hair creating a melancholy mood. This painting, one of Laurencin’s later works, shows a shift towards a more restrained and austere style, highlighting the artist’s versatility and depth.
Among the many women in Laurencin’s oeuvre is “Portrait d’homme,” a depiction of a Parisian dandy in translucent oils. This painting challenges traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, blurring the lines between the two in a captivating way. Laurencin’s work is a celebration of aesthetic pleasure and a rejection of the idea that “pretty” art is somehow less important or meaningful than other forms of expression.
“Marie Laurencin: Works from 1905 to 1952” is currently on display at the Almine Rech Gallery in Manhattan. The exhibition showcases Laurencin’s diverse body of work, from her early watercolors to her later oil paintings, offering a glimpse into the artist’s unique vision and creative genius.
