Seated Figure, Corsica 1907

Émilie Charmy probably painted this seated figure in Corsica with oil on canvas. It’s full of brushy greens and blues, with a dash of reddish-brown for the figure's top half. I wonder if she sat in a similar spot, squinting at the light to figure out where to put the girl on the canvas. I think she was less interested in the girl’s likeness and more interested in how the light fell on her. You can see how the figure is part of this green and blue dance. The mark-making is pretty straightforward, and it feels like she was just trying to capture a feeling or an atmosphere. Charmy was part of a generation of women painters in France who were pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in art. I imagine her work was in conversation with other painters like Berthe Morisot. They explored similar subject matter, like everyday life and intimate portraits, but each had their own take. It makes you think about how painting helps us explore a feeling, or a place, or a person in ways that aren’t always clear-cut.