Study of Four Women 

Harry Phelan Gibb’s "Study of Four Women" is a painting of four women from a time when ideas about femininity and representation were rapidly shifting. Gibb lived in a time marked by the suffragette movement, the rise of the ‘New Woman’, and an increased questioning of traditional gender roles. Here, the women are shown in varied states of dress, or undress, against a backdrop that merges natural and abstract elements, which can be read as a rejection of prevailing social norms of the time. Rather than portraying women as idealized figures, Gibb captures a sense of individuality and introspection. The nude figure could be seen as a statement of liberation, challenging conventional perceptions of female beauty and sexuality. Meanwhile the other women, in varied states of dress, seem to be finding comfort in each other. The painting's visual language may express something about the emotional and psychological complexities of women finding agency during an era of change. The effect is one of intimate solidarity.