Dimensions: support: 559 x 413 mm frame: 850 x 700 x 120 mm
Copyright: © Tate | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have "Brown Eyes" by Sir George Clausen, likely painted around 1901. She looks so serious. What strikes you about this portrait? Curator: Clausen, a key figure in British Impressionism, often depicted rural life. How do you think this portrait reflects the societal views of childhood during that era? Does it seem idealized or realistic? Editor: I see a blend of both. There's a certain innocence, but also a groundedness to her gaze. Curator: Precisely. The seemingly simple portrayal engages with complex socio-economic themes of the time. The plain dress, the rural background - it all speaks to a specific positioning of childhood within the British social fabric. Editor: That's insightful! I hadn't considered the social commentary within such a seemingly straightforward image. Curator: Art is rarely just about what meets the eye. Examining its context reveals so much more.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/clausen-brown-eyes-n04484
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Clausen studied in France and painted open-air ‘rural naturalist’ subjects in an impressionist style. In 1886 he helped to found the New English Art Club as an alternative exhibition venue to the Royal Academy. This is a portrait of a local girl from the village of Cookham in Berkshire, where the artist was living. The delicate play of light across the model’s features, together with the flicked brushwork in the background, suggest both the freshness and transience of youth. Gallery label, February 2016
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