Anna Billyenska, self-portrait, with palette details 1887, National Museum in Krakow
Anna Bilińska (1854-1893) was a Polish artist born in Zvotopol, Present-day Ukraine. From an early age she showed a talent for music and art, and with the support of her family, she had the opportunity to educate herself in both fields.
Portrait of Sculptor George Gray Barnard in the Studio
1890 Oil on canvas, 261.9 × 170.2 cm
Pennsylvania State Museum, Harrisburg
Anna Billyenska made a real splash in a portrait of George Grey Barnard at the National Museum in Warsaw. The image of the young sculptor has caught people's attention with its scale and the beauty of the model. No wonder that a hundred and thirty years ago, he would have evoked similar emotions.
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Anna Bilińska painted her largest paintings (at least in size) in Paris from April 1889 to September 1890. It depicts a young American sculptor, George Gray Barnard. According to her notes, most of the oil portraits were completed in dozens of hours, while the soft portraits only took a few hours, while she spent 275 hours on this painting. It was also learned that she received five thousand francs for the painting.
George Gray Barnard at work
Barnard's image is undoubtedly representative, at least as evidenced by its scale. At the same time, it stands out from this type of traditional image. Often, models, and even artists posing in his studio, wear elegant costumes, and his profession is simply reminiscent of appropriate attributes. At this point, Barnard looked like he was putting down his work and sitting on a plank. The man was stained with clay, and his right hand kept squeezing the clay blocks.
A few years later, Billy Enska portrayed himself in a similar way — wearing a work apron and messy hair — evoking the admiration of the audience with unprecedented sincerity. However, looking at Barnard's image tells us not to be deceived by the appearance of nature. The man's costume does not seem to be entirely contemporary, probably a conscious reference to Michelangelo, whom the sculptor admired. In addition to the perfect extraction of the muscular physique, it has also been carefully selected. Comparing this painting to Barnard's photograph, we can suspect that Billy Enska idealized the model.
The sculptor in the portrait is undoubtedly attractive. Sylvia Zientek notes that "the sensual force exudes the model itself and the masculine silhouette carved from marble", suggesting that "they [Barnard and Billingski] may have experienced a brief romance or sensual fascination together". It is difficult to confirm this claim.
George Gray Barnard, American Art Archive, Washington
Force a look and feel
Huge statue, one foot stepping out, body draped in gauze, what else is on it? Western paintings are usually straightforward, but this painting leaves a huge space that arouses curiosity.
It's an interesting painting. Especially as a portrait, it is vivid, powerful, lively and shocking. When we learn hypnosis, we know that there are three archetypal energies that support life, one is brave and strong; one is gentle and loving; and the other is naughty. For the third energy, we say that life is too difficult without adding some seasoning to the hard life. This painting is very playful and full of creativity, which is precisely the embodiment of clever naughtiness.
Anna Billyenska seems to have deliberately adjusted the proportions of the statue and the figure, the statue is large and the figure is relatively small; the statue is gray and gray, and the characters are clearly colored. The large statue appears from within the protagonist, and his outer and inner appearances are presented in the picture at the same time. So what else? The picture is not explained, and the undisclosed statue seems to reveal more deep and broader creations from the heart. In this way, this is a portrait of both inside and outside, and it is an extremely serious work.
What else does this painting teach us? For pictures or things that nourish life, we may as well spend more time, enlarge in the heart, and add more colors to see. Who says no?
Force 1: Generative Coaching