Nanny with a Child 1878

Who do you think of when you hear the term ‘Impressionism’? Most people associate the movement with artists such as Claude Monet (1840-1926) and Édouard Manet (1832-1883), yet overlooked groups such as women and non-Western artists played a vital role in this art style. Let’s take a deep dive into the work of one of these lesser-known artists! Eva Gonzalès (1847-1883) studied at a women-only studio from the age of sixteen, where she was unusually allowed to paint from life models. She then took lessons with Édouard Manet and developed her skilled Impressionist art style. She is portrayed by Manet in an 1870 oil painting, which depicts her in the act of painting. This portrait establishes her identity as artist in a male-dominated art scene. The term ‘Impressionism’ is taken from the title of Monet’s 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise. In its most traditional sense, Impressionism is characterised by loose brushstrokes and explorations of the fleeting effects of light and colour. These techniques can clearly be observed in Gonzalès’ Nanny with a Child (1878). The oil painting depicts two figures, a woman and a girl, together in a tranquil garden. The woman occupies the centre of the composition, wearing a pale dress with a voluminous loose skirt and matching jacket. She casually sits on a chair and gently holds a bouquet of wildflowers. The woman looks out of the canvas to meet the gaze of the viewer; her expression is friendly and inviting. To her right, a young child plays with a garden gate. The upturned parasol on the right side of the painting creates an informal and relaxed atmosphere, suggestive of the warm relationship between the nanny and the girl. Eva Gonzalès went on to exhibit at the prestigious Salon in Paris. The French author and suffragist Maria Deraismes (1828-1894) praised her as a pioneer of women’s art, arguing that her unflinching skill challenged false perceptions of female painters. Gonzalès’ career was tragically cut short in 1883, when she passed away due to complications in childbirth at the age of just 34. Have you encountered the work of Eva Gonzalès before? Why do you think she is less well-known than other Impressionist artists? 👩‍🎨💬 Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham