Portret van Eva Gonzalès voor een schildersezel 1859 - 1897

Henri-Charles Guérard made this etching titled "Portret van Eva Gonzalès voor een schildersezel" some time in the late 19th century. It depicts the French impressionist painter Eva Gonzalès standing in front of an easel. Gonzalès was a student of Édouard Manet, and here, Guérard, Manet's brother-in-law, shows her in the act of artistic creation, challenging the traditionally male-dominated art world of 19th-century France. This image would have had particular resonance at a time when women were fighting for greater access to education and professional opportunities. The print's existence also speaks to the increasing role of printmaking as a means of disseminating images and ideas more widely. To fully understand this portrait, we might look into the exhibition history of both Gonzalès and Guérard, as well as the critical reception of their work. Investigating the networks of artists and intellectuals to which they belonged would further illuminate the social and institutional context in which this image was made and circulated.