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Description
edit| Woman in an Ermine Collar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Kathleen McEnery Cunningham |
| Year | 1909 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | (76 7/8 in × 38 3/8 in) |
| Location | Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester |
| Accession | 1983.13 |
Woman in an Ermine Collar is a oil-on-canvas painting made by the American Urban Realist, Modernist artist Kathleen McEnery Cunningham, in 1909.[1] It depicts the profile painting of a younger woman in an ermine collared jacket, turtleneck shirtwaist, ostrich feathered hat, skirt bottom, and buckled shoes. It was acquired by the Rochester-based Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) in the mid to late 20th century, and it has been an integral part of the MAG's collection of 20th century art.[1]
The Inspiration
editWoman in an Ermine Collar was made at a time of great change within the United States of America, particularly in regards to the early women's suffrage movement, a movement that was an integral piece in McEnery's inspiration for her art. Her piece rebelled against the societal norms of the time, specifically the social pressures and expectations as to what it meant to be a woman in the United States.[2] In this piece, she hoped to exemplify the New Woman, a predecessor to the famous Flapper Girl of the 1920s.[2] Both were cultural movements that hoped to get rid of the rigid wardrobe expectations of yesteryear, just how The Gibson Girl had done for McEnery during her childhood.[2]
One of the biggest inspirations to this piece, which is reflected in the name of the piece, is the ermine collar. Ermine—colloquially known as a stoat— is a small, carnivorous mammal that resides within large spaces of Eurasia and North America.[3] The term ermine specially refers to the bright white and black coats of fur that these creatures develop in the winter months for camouflage.[3] The importance of this specific fur within this piece is modest to the modern viewer, yet ermine furs and pelts have been used by royalty and the wealthy in Western Europe for centuries.[4] McEnery, in turn, wanted the viewer to interpret this female figure within the painting as a symbol of royalty, brimming with confidence and power.
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b "MAG Collection - Woman in an Ermine Collar". magart.rochester.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ a b c Marlen, Jessica. "Kathleen McEnery Cunningham Woman in an Ermine Collar" (PDF). Seeing America: Painting and Sculpture from the Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery.
- ^ a b "Stoat", Wikipedia, 2024-09-26, retrieved 2024-10-21
- ^ Staff, A. F. C. (2013-04-18). "The Royal Touch: ERMINE". American Fur Council. Retrieved 2024-10-21.