Dimensions: support: 914 x 711 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Carel Weight | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Carel Weight's portrait of "Miss Orovida Pissarro." The strong reds and browns, alongside the variety of objects, create a very domestic feel. How do you interpret this work through its materials and context? Curator: I see a painting deeply rooted in the means of its production. Weight meticulously constructs a scene filled with objects, each hinting at the subject’s lived experience and labor. Consider the tools on the desk, the domestic objects, the fabrics; what do these say about labor and class here? Editor: It seems Weight is deliberately highlighting the details of her everyday life! Curator: Exactly! The consumption and materiality are on display. The painting challenges notions about artistic practice and everyday life. Editor: I didn't think about it like that! Curator: Considering the social context is key to appreciating the artist's intention.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/weight-miss-orovida-pissarro-t00139
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Weight is known for his portrayals of daily life in the London districts of Battersea and Clapham, and for his penetrating portraits, of which this is a prime example. Orovida Pissarro (1893-1968) was the daughter of the painter Lucien Pissarro, and granddaughter of the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. The portrait was painted at the sitter's house in Redcliffe Gardens, London. Weight described the works in the room: 'The picture on the table on the left is one of the last etchings C[amille] did - a self-portrait. The two pictures coming into the top of the portrait are by her father Lucien and the picture with the horse's legs on the right is part of an imaginary picture of Prince Rupert by herself'. Gallery label, August 2004
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