Key words
oil painting
Questions to ask
Have you seen a portrait in which the sitter has their back to the audience? Why do you think the artist might have chosen to portray his sitter in this way?
Can you tell whether the sitter is inside or outside? Would this make a difference to the mood of the painting?
This image is very intriguing because the viewer receives very limited information about the sitter. Does this technique of purposely withholding information encourage you to do your own research about the painter and sitter to gain a better insight into the image?
How this might inspire your work
Draw or paint a portrait of the back of your head, neck and shoulders. Draw an arm outstretched, holding a mirror angled towards the person holding it. Leave the mirror blank.
Think about what the mirror might be reflecting. You could stick a photo of your face onto the mirror. Or perhaps you’d like the mirror to reflect another person. Maybe you want the mirror to reflect what the person is thinking about.
Femme Vue du Dos between 1860 - 1870, oil on canvas by Louis-Gustav Ricard (1823-1873).
This quarter length depiction of an unknown young woman is shown wearing a low shouldered gown, her hair gathered into a loose knot with her back towards the viewer. An indistinct landscape lies beyond.
This work would seem to be typical of Ricard's style, with the soft shapes, rich and dramatic colours, muted light effects and Renaissance-style costumes, all of which are seen in his most well-known works.
Louis Gustave Ricard was a French painter born in Marseilles. After arriving in Paris he entered the studio of Leon Coignet although he spent little time there preferring to develop his skills through copying old masters first at the Louvre, and later in Italy, Belgium, Holland and England.
There are these inscriptions on the exhibit:
This exhibit is currently on display. Ref CALMG : 1949.125.56
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery collection, bequest of Emily and Gordon Bottomley 1949
Image © Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
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