Autoretrato 1830

Editor: This is Rosario Weiss Zorrilla’s "Autoretrato," created around 1830 using pencil. It’s a self-portrait, and I find the sketch-like quality almost gives it a sense of vulnerability, as if we're seeing her in a private moment of reflection. How would you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: Well, first, it's important to note that Weiss Zorrilla was an extraordinary figure, not just as an artist, but as a woman succeeding in the art world of 19th-century Spain. Her connection to Goya, her father being his student and she potentially his daughter, gives this self-portrait added weight. Editor: So, you’re suggesting the relationship gives the artwork political meaning? Curator: Exactly. This piece allows us to consider the institution of the art world itself – who has access, whose work is celebrated, and the socio-political context of female artists at that time. Editor: So it’s not simply a drawing, it's about female representation and pushing back against patriarchal constraints within the art world? Curator: Precisely. And her artistic lineage shaped public perception of her and the subjects of her art. Editor: So seeing it now, understanding the socio-political backdrop adds layers I wouldn’t have noticed initially. Thanks for illuminating it! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking about art in terms of who it includes, who it excludes, and how it's all framed, can profoundly change how we engage with a work like this one.