A tale of two artists

Though much marginalised throughout history, and still to some extent today in galleries, many women artists have made a huge impact on the art world, society and our imaginations - and their stories and creations never fail to inspire. This weekend, two in particular have occupied my time...

First was Eloise Harriet Stannard, whose work I discovered for the first time at a morning art history lecture. A member of a family well known for its artistic output, Eloise was one of three trailblazing yet little-known female members.

The daughter of Alfred Stannard, who was a renowned landscape painter and prominent member of the Norwich Society of Artists along with his brother Joseph Stannard, her artistic talents were recognised and nurtured throughout her life by her father and her fellow female artist relations: aunt Emily, cousin Emily and sister-in-law Anna Maria.

Eloise (pictured right) followed in her aunt's footsteps focusing on still life, a subject that was generally regarded as 'acceptable' for women, but she was by no means taking the easy way out. She likely understood very well that progress could only be made by adhering to certain basic social 'rules', as indeed her aunt had understood before her.

Taking inspiration from her pioneering relation, she pushed the boundaries of the social sphere by including glimpses of landscapes in the periphery of her flower and fruit studies (an example pictured above); adding birds and insects to the composition (somewhat less risque than her aunt and sister-in-law's series of paintings of dead game); and working with an acute understanding of audience and market for her work through her range of subject matter and ability to reproduce certain pieces that proved popular.

Unfortunately, Eloise's work fell from fashion towards the end of her life, as abstraction and impressionism grew in popularity; she accepted progress, but simultaneously mourned the changing times, especially the arrival of photography, which now captured the realism that was at the heart of her painting style. But she continued working until her death in 1915, aged 86. Poignantly, her last commission was to restore a piece she had created in her younger life.

 

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The second artist was Remedios Varo, whose work I viewed a few years ago at an exhibition celebrating three female surrealist artists, the other two being British painter Leonora Carrington and Hungarian photographer Kati Horna. The three ladies met and became friends in Mexico City in 1943, having fled from World War Two persecution.

Remedios's fascinating paintings invite the viewer to enter a mesmerising yet terrifying world of magic, androgenous characters, fantastical beings and strange buildings set in dark and atmospheric environments. Some, especially the later paintings, are widely believed to communicate feminist messages.

Though she was firmly part of the surrealist circle of the time, Remedios was nonetheless working within the confines of a movement and culture that did not credit women with the same level of artistic ability as men. Indeed, the characters in her paintings are frequently seen in enclosed, claustrophic spaces.

Her work has sparked the imaginations of millions of viewers during and after her lifetime - as have her talent and achievements. I'm certainly a huge fan, and thanks to several hours of framing, I now have prints of six of my favourite paintings ready to go up on the wall!

Remedios Varo images: Eisabeth Skene and Mary Holman on Flickr