Self Portrait with Open Dressing Gown 1920

Émilie Charmy made this self-portrait with oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. Look at that open dressing gown. Isn’t it wonderful how she uses these loose brushstrokes of grey and blue to define it? It feels so immediate, so process-driven. The material qualities of paint are really at play here. Notice how the paint is applied thinly in some areas, allowing the canvas to peek through, while in other spots, like around her eyes, it’s layered more thickly, creating depth and shadow. It’s fascinating how the choice of color, like the fleshy pinks and soft yellows of her skin, contrasts with the cool tones of the gown. There’s a particular tension in the way the light catches the folds of the fabric, revealing the physicality of the medium. Charmy’s work reminds me a little of Suzanne Valadon, another artist who fearlessly depicted women and their bodies with a similar sense of intimacy and honesty. Art, you know, is a constant conversation, and artists like Charmy and Valadon remind us of the beauty of embracing ambiguity and multiple perspectives.