Gwen John's Corner

GWEN JOHN'S A CORNER OF THE ARTIST ROOM, PARIS (1907 - 1909)

Presents a portrait of identity. By representing an empty chair in a somewhat empty room, there is a simple intent portrayed, involving self-image, however the intentions are further in the details and get much harder to decipher.

To begin, Gwen John (1876-1939) lived in Paris, in a room at 87 Rue de Cherche-Midi in Montparnasse. For money, she worked as an artist's model, particularly for the sculptor Rodin (the man we just met in Camille Claudel's past as well) with whom she had troubled relations. There are a couple other things that may help us in understanding this piece and the intentions. First, she was the sister of Augustus John, a famous artist for a time until they somewhat swapped fame. As a student, she moved to France and studied with James Whistler, who mainly painted in one or two colors trying to achieve harmony in tone. Gwen adopted a feel for his color palette as well. Further, she was interested in the Modernist movement. Prior to her piece, two other influential pieces, with similar constructions were created. The first is The Empty Chair, Gad's Hill – Ninth of June 1870 by Luke Fildes which depict Charles Dickens' desk and chair in his library in memorial for his death. The second is Van Gogh's two chairs in his Yellow House at Arles in 1888. One for himself and one for Gauguin. This piece was valuable as the two different detailed chairs represented a glimpse at the inside of the two separate individuals in Van Gogh's piece.

Looking specifically at this piece we can see the influence of memorization of her own particular place and possibly a mood. We see the roof cut in a mansard slope and only bright sky coming in through the window and we can automatically guess that she is on the top floor. This can hint at her financial situation being on the skimmer side. The atmosphere of the room is minimalist and orderly with only a chair, table, parasol, garment, vase of flowers and sheer curtains. There's a transparent geometry in the forms of the rooms structure. These aspects may have been a product of her modernist influence. The scene feels quiet and thoughtful. And almost fragile. The colors are subdued and soft, the chair is woven in wick and the dainty umbrella leans up against the chair. However, what is particularly special about this piece is the sense of sharpness and power in the contrasts between light and dark. Almost a sense of improvement and strength coming through the emptiness and frailty.