With every great piece of art there is always another that it can be compared and contrasted with. This is the case when you take the painting the painting by Vincent Van Gogh, “Self Portrait with Straw Hat,” with Adelaide Labille Guiard, “Self Portrait with Two Pupils.” These two pieces of art can attract the attention of art lovers the world over. They show things, which the artist leaves imbedded in the piece so that the admirer or critic will be mesmerized and be attracted to the simple complexity, which stares back at them. These two pieces have many similarities but also a number of striking contrasts as well.
Adelaide Labelle- Guiard was born April 11th 1749 and became interested in art from a very young age. The miniaturist Franccois-Elie Vincent trained her and her first piece was exhibited at the Academine Saint-Luc in 1774. After a series of portraits by well-known 'academicians,' she was admitted into the Royal Academy the same day as her rival Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun. After her inception into the Academy she became one of the most popular artists and in 1785 she did one of her most famous pieces, “Self Portrait with two Pupils” She was also a strong supporter of the French Revolution and worked towards having a number of women accepted into the Academy. So although she was an artist she was so much more because of her feminist and political views. Adelaide Labille Guiard died on 24th April 1803 but leaves a lifetime's worth of art for the world.
Next, there is Vincent Van Gogh, probably one of the most brilliant and yet troubled artists of all times. He was born on 30th March 1853, the son of a minister. He was involved in numerous jobs from being an art dealer to school master then a missionary and finally an artist. He was mostly a self-taught artist and received recognition due to his cousin who encouraged him to come to Paris the center of the art world at the time. When he was in Paris he became interested in color as well as divisionist ideas which he used to create his dashed brushstrokes. He was influenced also by Mediterranean colors. Throughout this time he suffered from mental illness.
In 1888Van Gogh mutilated his own ear and struggled with more depression. Then in 18189 he became a voluntary patient at St Remy asylum. Shortly after that he suffered a new bout of depression and on 27th July 1890 he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He died two days later.
The piece by Adelaide Labille Guiard, “Self Portrait with Two Pupils” shows a woman with ambition. Her pupils are dressed simply while she portrays herself in a magnificent dress and hat while holding her palette and brushes which shows this piece is obviously done by pastel. The color in this piece is mild and has an almost serene yet sophisticated aura. The light shown in this painting is centered on herself and her pupils. The darkness only stresses the life like manner, which stands out. The artist also makes use of space and shows the figures in detail.
This piece has a rather secular content and stresses the views of women. It shows that they can be attractive as well as talented and educated. The “Self Portrait with a Straw Hat,' by Vincent Van Gogh is quite a contrast to Adelaide Labille Guiard. His art is rather simplistic and shows more of his cares for simplicity than himself. The straw hat is simple enough because he is used to painting the people of the working class. The piece is done in Impressionism and has simple color. It is showing the divisionist ideas as well as the distinct dashed brushstrokes. This piece of art can be seen with an emotional content of serenity rather than ambition. It stresses the want for piece and the eyes try to show the need for something more maybe even understanding or pity.
Both pieces of art are similar in that they are self-portraits. They are also depicted in similar colors. Their clothing is done in blue and they both wear straw hats, which are done in yellow. There is no real background in the paintings but the color directs the attention to the figures rather than the objects around them.
They contrast very greatly in almost the entire work of art. First and foremost is the fact that they are done in different styles. They also differ greatly in size as well. Another difference is the fact that Madam Guiard had two pupils with her. The way the artists portray themselves is also another great contrast. Vincent Van Gogh shows himself simply dressed while Madam Guiard depicts herself in an unusually elegant manner to be doing that type of job as an artist. The artists also differ in the expressions given on the faces. There is also another difference in terms of time frame in which the pieces were done. The portrait by Madam Guiard was done at a much earlier date and displays the art of her time, however, Vincent Van Gogh's self portrait shows the progression that art has made in terms of style and the mixture of color.
Both pieces of art are magnificent by any system of measurement. The “Self Portrait with Two Pupils” is done with a splendid eye for detail and it shows what people usually think when they picture themselves. It shows pride and a level of ego. It also shows how people can depict themselves and give a level of grandeur and importance, which is shown simply by the way they are dressed. The “Self Portrait with Straw Hat,” by Vincent Van Gogh is more accepted in terms of personal preference. This is simply because it does not stress extravagance but rather it shows simplicity and the way the colors are mixed shows complexity but in a simple form.
So, when any great artist shows themselves in self-portraits, it is more than simply to be looked at. The work speaks to you and tells something about the artist and their frame of mind. Such is the hallmark of a great artist and two of the best are Adelaide Labille Guiard and Vincent Van Gogh.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1996 Biography from Dictionary of Art Online by Jane Turner, copyright 1996 by Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London.
2000 Biography from Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Biography, copyright Helicon Publishing Ltd. 2000
metmuseum.org
bc.edu
vangoghgallery.com
