Untitled acrylic on canvas (September 2024)
I wanted to expand from my summer project and focus on ideas of the community surrounding girlhood, as well as the continued influence of witchcraft. I felt really inspired by images I found online of women wearing white dresses, holding hands while skipping around in circles. These felt rather eerie and uncomfortable but at the same time it captured how girls often rely on each other and the beauty of female friendship. This interest was also expanded after I read Arthur Miller’s 1953 Play The Crucible which in its first act describes a group of young girls singing and dancing together in the forest. Due to this behaviour by the end of the play they had all been tried and executed for witchcraft.
Collage of inspirational images found on Pinterest
These Images reminded me of a painting I saw when visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The Three Graces c.1570 was painted by Francesco Morandini (also known as Poppi). The small painting shows three naked women with flowers in their hair, dancing hand in hand. The piece really inspired me and made me think about how comfortable I can feel in the presence of other women. In Greek mythology the Three Graces are the daughters of Zeus and Hera: Aglaia (Brightness), Euphrosyne (Joyfulness), and Thalia (Bloom). They are said to represent beauty and fertility and are symbols of Womanhood, which links perfectly to my key ideas.
The Three Graces Poppi (C.1570), Oil on Copper
I chose to paint the figures with no faces as i wanted them to be a symbol of girlhood in general rather than representing specific people. It also represents that no matter the background, women will often be there and there is a community around the struggles of girlhood.