When people look at Girl Arranging Her Hair, they see a young girl with natural beauty. In this painting, the main focus is on her arms and how she is twirling with her hair. The color of the walls assist the white dress the young girl is wearing to help focus on her and what she is doing. The lighting is neutral for the walls have a darker tint, while her dress is white complementing her pale face and dark hair to bring attention to the viewers and for them to understand the moral of the painting. The artist clearly demonstrates that the work of art does not depend on the exquisiteness of the young girl; and the natural pattern that is shown with her arms and facial expression. Beauty is a social issue many women take for granite but there are far many acquisitions of women and their beauty beyond the face. In my opinion, the meaning of the work is to show the natural gesture in the arms and head. This relates to my own experience because when I was a young girl, playing with my hair was my favorite pastime.
This artwork helped change perceptions for the reason that many women don’t understand the beauty and natural body language that has been created for us. The following webpage helps show that these paintings are part of a woman’s’ daily life and movement: http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/breaking_away/women_artist_2.htm
Sources:
1)
Title: Girl Arranging Her Hair
Author: Mary Cassatt
Source: The Collection: National Gallery of Art
Website:http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/ggcassattptg/ggcassattptg-46572.html
2)
Title: Women As Artists
Source: Breaking Away From The Academy
Webpage:http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/breaking_away/women_artist_2.htm
