Georgette Chen - Portrait of Eugene Chen ( oil on canvas )

About the Artwork :



Her husband was a favorite subject of hers. She often painted fine portraits such as this of him over the years. They capture elements of his personality and many such as this seem to be influenced by Van Gogh’s portraits.

This work comes from the period of Chen’s Post-Impressionist period. It provides the viewer with Chen’s own understanding of her husband as well as a superficial rendering of how he looks.



Background Info of Georgette Chen :

She was born Chang Li Ying probably in Zejiang Province, China in 1906. There is some disagreement about the year and place of her birth, some claim she was born in Paris, and others claim that the year of her birth was 1907. The daughter of a business man, she lived a privileged life, travelling through China, to Paris and New York during her youth. She attended art classes at the Art Students League in New York (1926-1927), and later in Paris she studied art at the Academie Colarossi and Academie Biloul. In 1930, she married her first husband, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Eugene Chen Youren. This was also the year that the first of her art works was accepted for exhibition, at the Salon d'Automne in Paris. Her early work, for example, Still Life with Cut Apple and Orange (circa 1928 - 1930) is characterised by the influence of the late nineteenth century French Impressionists such as Jean Baptiste Corot and Paul Cezanne, with her heavy brush strokes and emphasis on volume and texture.

Description :
- The painting is dominated by the male figure , Eugene Chen .
- In the foreground , there is the male figure sitting on a armchair , holding a red book and with a stern and serious look.
- He is wearing a grey top with a scarf , wearing round spectacles , frowning.
- The colours used are earth colours , which contrasts with the male figure.

Analysis :
- The composition of the background is painted with short and vertical brushstrokes , which makes the background flat.
- The foreground is dominated by the male figure , Eugene Chen sitting on the armchair. The male figure is painted with dull colours that brings out the seriousness of the male figure.
- The artist draws focus to the book that Eugene is reading by painting it in red , which stands out among the dull and earthly colours.

Interpretation :
- The painting depicts much about the subject. The resting of his head suggest a weariness about him, which probably had to do with his important role in China’s political affairs.
- His comfortable position of sitting might mean that both know each other well.
- The subject matter is a reflection of Eugene in deep thoughts as he is looking elsewhere rather then looking at the painter.
- Unlike Georgette's other paintings , this painting shows the understanding of Georgette towards Eugene through the painting.

Evaluation :- The choice of the colours portrayed are dull and earthly .
- The strength of the painting lies in the red book that Eugene is reading , a book that makes him so mesmerised into it.
- It is a successful attempt because from the painting , we can see that Eugene has just closed the book that he is reading , and in deep thoughts .