Shadows of the Ivy: A Princeton Study in Black and White

Wandering through the Princeton Art Museum, I found myself drawn to the way the modern architecture frames the legacy of the past

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Little is documented about this portrait of "Jessica" from 1932 by American artist Robert Hale Ives Gammell except it was donated in 1987 to Princeton University by 1962 alum Peter N. Heydon. However, the realistic details and beauty in the portrait of this woman with pale skin in her late twenties or early thirties wearing a leather jacket and red headscarf are worthy of more attention. Her light skin tone and facial features are soft and delicate with large expressive eyes gazing attentively over her shoulder as she turns her head to the left. The woman's straight nose, slightly-rosy cheeks, and flat chin are well-defined, and her fire red lips are parted with a gentle curve, suggesting a pleasant mood or mild amusement. Her dark brown wavy hair reaches her shoulders, but is partially hidden under a tight crimson bandana or headscarf. With her left hand, she grasps the collar of the classic reddish-brown leather jacket she wears. Beneath the open jacket, she is wearing a pale yellow blouse with a simple, round neckline. Gammell's style is realistic, focusing on meticulous detail, light, and shadow to create depth and form ... and present Jessica's character as much as her features. The brushwork is visible but blended smoothly creating a"painterly rendering" more than just a strictly photorealistic one. Warm, muted tones, such as deep reds, browns, and creams, dominate the palette, contributing to a rich, almost timeless aesthetic. In particular, the texture of the woman's skin and the fabric of her clothing feel like you could almost reach out and touch them.

Jessica by R. H. Ives Gammell (American) - Oil on canvas / 1932 - Princeton University Art Museum (New Jersey) #womeninart #portrait #art #fineart #PrincetonArtMuseum #artwork #portraitofawoman #Gammell #AmericanArtist #RobertHaleIvesGammell #AmericanArt #portrait #realism #beauty #headscarf #style

This painting of a woman with her left hand on her hip, her head leaning casually against her right hand, and a cigarette dangling from her lips was found in Manet’s studio after his death. Its enigmatic setting and compressed sense of space have prompted scholars to question if Manet left the painting unfinished. It was never exhibited in his lifetime, and no indication of its original title has been discovered. Purchased by artist Edgar Degas, it was listed in early inventories and sales as Bohemian Woman (title in use 1883 – ca. 1947), Mexican Woman (title in use 1883 – ca. 1929), and Indian Woman Smoking a Cigarette (title in use ca. 1918 – ca. 2002). In the 1930s, some scholars began referring to it as Gypsy with a Cigarette, reflecting Manet's use of the term "gypsy" (gitano) in other titles. The painting entered the Museum's collection in 1979 under this title. In 2023, the Museum changed the painting's title to Woman with a Cigarette, acknowledging the derogatory nature of the painting's previous title as well as the uncertainty of the figure's identity.

Woman with a Cigarette by Édouard Manet (French) - Oil on canvas / undated - Princeton University Art Museum (Princeton, New Jersey) #womeninart #portrait #manet #art #princetonartmuseum #artwork #artoftheday #princeton #edouardmanet #frenchartist #smoking #womansmoking #fineart #bskyart #bsky.art