An Art Analysis of Eva Gonzalès

 

La Psyché by Eva Gonzalès (1869-70)

Background

Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883) came from a French upper-class family. This allowed her to explore and study art despite art society’s resistance to women painters. She studied under Charles Chaplin, who taught art classes to women and offered women opportunities to study with live models. A couple of years later, Gonzalès met Edouard Manet and became his student, model, and eventually colleague. Gonzalès' work naturally echoes Manet’s style and some influence from the Impressionists of her time. (National Gallery)

During the 19th century, women creating art was disapproved of in highly public settings like bars, theatres, and city centers. Due to limits on where women could paint during her time, many used family or friends as models in their work. In this painting, Gonzalès uses her sister, Jeanne Guerard-Gonzalès, who is often a model in Gonzalès artwork. (The Art Story)

Description

La Psyché (The Full-length Mirror) about 1869-70, Oil on canvas, 40 × 27 cm

Currently displayed in the Nation Gallery in London, England

The woman, modeled after Jeanne Guerard-Gonzalès, looks at her reflection in a full-length mirror. She is wearing a striped, black and white dress and holding a small red flower. The room also contains a reddish couch and a small painting on a blue-grey wall. A soft light source comes from the right side of the painting out of frame.

Art Elements

Line: The painting contains numerous vertical lines, from the woman’s dress to the verticals of the mirror. The continuous lines guide the viewer to look the painting up and down, much like how one would look at oneself in a mirror. The diagonal lines also guide the viewer’s eyes. The folds of the woman’s dress and the angles of her arms point towards her head and from that, to her gaze. The top of the mirror creates a pyramid effect through the diagonal lines, framing the woman and her reflection.

Color: The muted colors create a sense of calm and stillness. The colors are not extravagant and the painting in itself is very plain. It highlights the simplicity of life, the model’s modest character, and the gentle observance of the subject. Eva Gonzalès primarily uses muted blues and red/orangish-browns, complementary to each other. These colors create a harmonious and tranquil effect over La Psyché.

Color swatches of La Psyché taken by Daylynn Hall

Texture: The overall painting is very soft and matte. The features of the woman and her dress in the reflection are simple. This soft texture is reinforced by the colors and lines Eva Gonzalès uses. This texture creates a home-like atmosphere, letting the viewer be in a familiar place, just like how the subject feels in the room.

Personal Relation

I am particularly drawn to mirrors in art. I love how reflections are captured and how they often serve as the framing device, highlighting the main subject. When walking through the National Gallery, La Psyché caught my eye. It was a gentle, yet refreshing painting compared to the numerous boldly painted works teeming with activity that sat on the surrounding walls.

What sets La Psyché apart from other mirror paintings is the different gaze the subject has of herself. Traditionally, paintings use mirrors to display vanity and elaborate on the Roman god, Venus, of love and beauty. In La Psyché, the subject views herself with more of an air of observation rather than vanity or harsh judgment. Like many, I have a hard time looking at my reflection and not being critical in some way. And one can’t help but stare at their reflection, not necessarily with vanity but just observance. Reflections are the closest thing to seeing the true, physical manifestation of ourselves. It is natural to want to change what we are viewing, but grace should be exercised. It has taken a lot of time to see my reflection and be fairly content with what I saw.

Placement and Presentation

I enjoy the National Gallery’s current presentation of this painting among these other works. They nicely balance each other out and highlight the style and colors used throughout the collection. La Psyché is small in size, compared to its neighbor: you have to get close to view it, creating an intimate moment between the art and the viewer. If I owned a copy of this painting, it would be displayed in my room among my current collection. I would place it among other art depicting the simplicity of human life and keep it with a similar color palette. I feel like displaying it next to highly saturated works of art would wash out the little saturation it has.

The National Gallery's current wall displaying Eva Gonzalès among other artists. Created by Daylynn Hall

1. Portrait of Elena Carafa by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
2. At the Theatre (La Première Sortie) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
3. Eva Gonzalès by Edouard Manet
4. Princess Pauline de Metternich by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
5. La Psyché (The Full-length Mirror) by Eva Gonzalès
6. Interior by Vilhelm Hammershøi

Works Cited:

“Eva Gonzalès.” The Art Story, The Art Story Foundation, www.theartstory.org/artist/gonzales-eva/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

The National Gallery. “Eva Gonzalès, ‘the Full-Length Mirror’, about 1869-70.” Eva Gonzalès | The Full-Length Mirror | NG6702 | National Gallery, London, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/eva-gonzales-the-full-length-mirror. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.