The painter 1880

Curator: Paul Peel's “The Painter,” created around 1880, is a striking self-portrait housed here at the National Gallery of Canada. It gives us an intimate glimpse into the artist's world, or at least a constructed version of it. Editor: My first impression? There’s something brooding and theatrical about it. He’s bathed in shadow, casually leaning as though he just paused in the midst of creating something momentous, perhaps. It’s very…romanticized. Curator: Romanticized, yes, but also reflective of the artistic dialogues swirling around the late 19th century. Think of this work in the context of emergent Modernism. The artist consciously constructs an image of himself that evokes tradition, as signaled in his clothing, while clearly acknowledging modern sensibilities, too, in the composition. Editor: Oh, I feel that. It’s got that old-world swagger mixed with this new, "I’m an artist and slightly world-weary” vibe. The cigarette adds a lot of that attitude, doesn't it? But you also see all of those academic symbols littered throughout, the sculpture of the male nude, and the large gold-framed canvas lurking behind him. What's he trying to prove? Curator: The canvas represents the potential of artistic creation, but there’s also the power dynamic embedded in this portrayal. Here, the artist, presumably a white cis-gender male, is in command of not just his self-image, but also the historical narrative of art itself. Who gets to create? Whose stories get told? And who is erased or forgotten in this canon? Editor: Hmm, I’d say the pose conveys confidence—even defiance—more than anything. Maybe he's reclaiming the gaze and simultaneously asking us to interrogate our own preconceived notions about art. Like he's saying, “Yes, I fit within the mold of the 'artist', but I'm also breaking it." Or maybe that's just my own read on it! It's that interesting contradiction in Peel's work. The light falls beautifully on his face, on the palette, drawing your eye into his world… it’s masterful in its manipulation, you might even say. Curator: Well, this canvas definitely shows us how even what appears to be a simple portrait can reveal much more. There are narratives embedded in every brushstroke, in every object selected. Editor: Absolutely, and I have to say, it has definitely piqued my curiosity enough to search for his other pieces to know what the 'Painter' painted!