Art Section 3 (Gender, Fashion, and Consumer Culture)

What aspects of a wearer can clothes reflect?

Class, age, gender, race or ethnicity, occupation, and values.

What does the adoption of new clothing styles or types of garments (like trousers for women) mark?

Important historical moments.

According to historian Rob Schorman, how was the consumption of goods viewed in the early twentieth century in relation to identity?

It was not a separate activity but provided the resources out of which an individual could fabricate an identity.

What did consumer goods provide individuals with in the early twentieth century, according to Schorman?

The resources out of which an individual could fabricate an identity.

What did the artworks of the 1920s in this section reflect on?

The fashions of the 1920s and their importance for creating identities.

What is the title of the selected artwork by Guy Pène du Bois discussed in this section?

Woman on Sofa.

What are the approximate years Guy Pène du Bois created "Woman on Sofa"?

c. 1922-27.

Where was Guy Pène du Bois born?

Brooklyn, New York.

What was the profession of Guy Pène du Bois's father, Henri Pène du Bois?

A writer and art critic.

What was the linguistic background of Guy Pène du Bois's family at home?

They spoke French.

At what age did Guy Pène du Bois begin painting?

Fifteen.

Who were Guy Pène du Bois's early art teachers?

William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri.

When did Guy Pène du Bois take his first trip to Paris?

Around 1905.

When did Guy Pène du Bois return to New York following his father's death?

1906.

What did Guy Pène du Bois do for a few years to support himself after returning from Paris?

He worked as a journalist.

When did Guy Pène du Bois have his first solo art show?

1918.

Where did Guy Pène du Bois and his wife live for most of the time after his first solo show?

Westport, Connecticut.

Name two artistic friends of Guy Pène du Bois in Westport, Connecticut.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sherwood Anderson.

How did Guy Pène du Bois recall the atmosphere of his time in Westport, Connecticut, despite prohibition?

As rather decadent, with "gin and orange juice ruled the days and nights… Work was an effort made between parties."

When did Guy Pène du Bois and his family relocate to Paris?

1924.

Where did Guy Pène du Bois move after Paris in the French countryside?

The village of Garnes.

During what years did Guy Pène du Bois work transatlantically, living mostly in France but exhibiting and selling in the U.S.?

From 1924 to 1930.

What types of Jazz Age spaces did Guy Pène du Bois become known for depicting in his art?

Cafes, art galleries, restaurants, and supper clubs.

Who was a close friend of Guy Pène du Bois who was also interested in similar Jazz Age spaces?

Edward Hopper.

What type of public artworks did Guy Pène du Bois create in the 1930s?

Post office murals (three of them).

Why was Guy Pène du Bois increasingly unable to work in the 1940s?

Due to declining health.

When did Guy Pène du Bois pass away?

1958.

What is the dominant color harmony in Guy Pène du Bois's "Woman on Sofa"?

Tones of red.

Describe the pose of the young woman in "Woman on Sofa."

Half-reclined on a sofa with one arm on the back, the other draped over the armrest, legs elegantly crossed, and feet showing red high-heeled shoes.

Describe the woman's hair in "Woman on Sofa."

Short, curly red hair teased into a mushroom shape.

What is the color of the woman's eyes in "Woman on Sofa"?

Green.

What facial feature is brightly accented on the woman in "Woman on Sofa"?

Her red lips.

Describe the color and style of the woman's dress in "Woman on Sofa."

An informal cowl-neck dress painted in tones of coral pink to orange-red, with a boxy shape that hits at mid-calf.

Describe the necklace worn by the woman in "Woman on Sofa."

A long string of beads that would reach down past her waist if she stood up.

How does the background and couch in "Woman on Sofa" relate in color?

They are painted in almost the same color.

What do the simplified details of the background and couch in "Woman on Sofa" allow the viewer to focus on?

The woman's face, clothing, and pose.

What does the woman's facial expression and modern styling in "Woman on Sofa" convey?

Both intimacy and power.

When did the notion of a liberated "New Woman" emerge?

In the late nineteenth century.

What societal shifts contributed to the emergence of the "New Woman"?

Women taking advantage of educational opportunities and moving into more public roles.

What was the predominant demographic of the early "New Women"?

Overwhelmingly white and middle class.

What historical movement did the early "New Women" represent?

The first wave of feminism between circa 1870 and 1900.

What were some of the key goals advocated by the early "New Women"?

Pushing for voting rights and advocating for women's ability to work outside the home.

What was a common conservative belief held by many early "New Women"?

Their belief in women's roles as moral guides to the family and the nation.

How did women's activism change after the turn of the century?

It grew more public, and women stressed independence, intelligence, and unconventionality.

What was the typical focus of art depicting the post-turn-of-the-century "New Woman" ideal?

Mostly focused on rich European American women, often showing them engaged in physical pursuits, like golf, tennis, and bicycling, always chic and well dressed.

Who was the "Gibson Girl"?

An exemplar of the chic and well-dressed "New Woman" type, first imagined by commercial illustrator Charles Dana Gibson for Life magazine around 1890.

How did Ashcan artists' vision of the "New Woman" differ from the "Gibson Girl"?

They embraced a more working-class (though still white) vision.

What activities and lifestyle were associated with the Ashcan artists' "New Woman"?

Riding urban public transportation, strolling with girlfriends, frequenting cafes, living independently, and working in factories or department stores.

What event in 1920 is described as the culmination of the early twentieth-century "New Woman" ideal?

The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteeing women's suffrage.

How did the Jazz Age version of the "New Woman" differ from her predecessor in terms of politics and demeanor?

She was more apolitical and carefree.

What stereotype of the Jazz Age did the "New Woman" morph into in the more permissive atmosphere of the 1920s?

The flapper.

How were flappers typically imagined?

As young, liberated women who wore the latest trends and frequented jazz clubs in big cities.

List some key features of the flapper style of clothing and appearance.

Shorter skirts (tea-length up to knee-length), uncorseted bodices, loose boxy silhouettes, long dangling necklaces, high heels, shorter haircuts, and makeup.

What was flapper identity associated with?

Youth culture and "social emancipation."

How was the idea of the flapper spread in popular culture?

Through fiction, including Anita Loos's satirical novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1925).

Who is the main character of Anita Loos's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and what is she the epitome of?

Lorelei Lee, the epitome of a flapper: a gold-digging party girl who moved from the Midwest to New York.

What was the commercial success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in the 1920s?

It was one of the bestselling books of the decade.

Who else provided a popular iteration of the flapper in cartoons and covers for Life Magazine?

John Held Jr.

How did John Held Jr. typically depict the flapper in his work?

As androgynous, angular, and boyish, but maintaining a carefree demeanor and often shown dancing, smoking, or drinking cocktails.

How did photographs from the streets contrast with the "elegant fantasy" of the flapper?

They showed how young women actually incorporated elements of the new style into their wardrobes, revealing a confidence and freedom typical of the era.

What does "Woman on Sofa" represent in terms of gender dynamics?

A new gender dynamic where the woman's bold pose and direct gaze show her as a powerful figure, not needing to rely on a man.

What elements in "Woman on Sofa" identify the sitter as a flapper figure, despite being in a domestic interior?

Her hair and clothes.

Who might have inspired the character in "Woman on Sofa" according to the text?

A character in a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote in "Gretchen's Forty Winks" (1924) of a "Titian-haired girl, vivid as a French rag doll."

What aspect of the sitter in "Woman on Sofa" might reference the growing role of female patrons in the American art world?

Her pose.

Whose well-known work does Pène du Bois's "Woman on Sofa" create almost a mirror image of in terms of pose?

A daring portrait of the art collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1916) by his former teacher, Robert Henri.

How is Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney described in the text in relation to the "New Woman" ideal?

She embodies the energy, openness, and daring glance of a liberated woman, though too early to be considered a flapper.

Describe Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's attire in her portrait by Robert Henri.

A colorful pajama-like ensemble featuring loose turquoise trousers gathered at the ankles.

What was the reaction of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's husband to her wearing trousers in the portrait?

He was apparently embarrassed and didn't want his wife appearing "in pants."

Besides being a collector, what was Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's profession?

A sculptor.

What significant role did Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney play in the art world?

A major patron of the arts.

What important art event did Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney help fund in 1913?

The Armory Show.

What did Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney open in 1914 to support exhibiting modern art?

The first of several venues.

What institution did Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney found in 1929 after the Metropolitan Museum of Art rejected her collection?

The Whitney Museum, which opened in 1931.

What does the text suggest about the frequency of depictions of women as important patrons of the arts in Pène du Bois's paintings?

It appears frequently.

Name two art collectors depicted by Guy Pène du Bois dining at an expensive restaurant in 1924.

Chester Dale and Maud Murray Dale.

What does Pène du Bois's 1921 painting "Juliana Force at the Whitney Studio Club" depict?

Whitney's secretary and the future director of the Whitney Museum viewing an art exhibition in a black backless gown.

Is the sitter in Pène du Bois's "Woman on Sofa" identified as a named member of the New York art world?

No, she is an unknown sitter.

What does the text suggest about the sitter in "Woman on Sofa" in relation to her space and appeal?

She clearly dominates her space and feels comfortable in her appeal and modernity.

What aspects of the sitter in "Woman on Sofa" position her as a confident young woman at home in modern life, even though she is depicted in a domestic setting?

Her flapper-like clothing, short hair, red lip, and bold glance.

In what city and year was Florine Stettheimer born?

Rochester, New York, in 1871.

Where did Florine Stettheimer spend most of her childhood and young adulthood?

Europe.

Why did Florine Stettheimer's family move to Europe?

Her father abandoned the family to immigrate to Australia.

What privilege did Florine Stettheimer have due to her family's wealth?

The resources to pursue a career in painting.

Where did Florine Stettheimer live after 1914 in New York?

In a large apartment with her mother Rosetta and sister Carrie.

What did Florine Stettheimer, her mother, and sister host in their New York apartment?

Artistic gatherings.

Name three important members of the New York art world that Florine Stettheimer painted portraits of.

Alfred Stieglitz, Carl Van Vechten, and Marcel Duchamp.

What was Florine Stettheimer's level of formal art training?

She had little formal training.

How did Florine Stettheimer's style relate to the expectations of modernism within the Stieglitz circle?

Her style did not fit within the rigorous definitions of modernism expected of them.

What is unique about Florine Stettheimer's paintings from this period?

Their fantastical, colorful style.

How did Georgia O'Keeffe describe her friend Florine Stettheimer?

As "fantasy and reality all mixed up."

What kind of subject matter did Florine Stettheimer often depict in her paintings that critics like Stieglitz might have considered "vulgar"?

Broadway plays, advertising signage, people cavorting on beaches, marching bands, and beauty pageants.

Which later artists had great success with similar kinds of popularly inspired scenes as Stettheimer?

Kenneth Hayes Miller, Reginald Marsh, and Edward Hopper.

What unsettling scenes did some of Stettheimer's other works depict?

Herself, family, or friends lounging in lush gardens surrounded by human-sized flowers that almost overwhelm them.

What does Florine Stettheimer's "Spring Sale at Bendel's" parody?

The frenzied consumption of fashion and accessories at modern department stores.

What was the primary way most Americans obtained their clothes 150 years prior to the 1920s?

They made their own clothes or had them made by a tailor or dressmaker.

By the turn of the twentieth century, what was the status of men's clothing sales?

Most men's clothing was sold ready-to-wear.

According to the editor of Ladies' Home Journal, what proportion of women's dresses were made by the wearers around the turn of the twentieth century?

More than three-fourths.

By what year had the American fashion industry (production and consumption) seen a massive boom?

1920.

Where could customers buy clothes in the 1920s?

Off the rack at department stores and cheaper bargain stores, by mail order, or from European and American fashion houses.

What increased significantly in magazines during this era, appealing to consumers?

Dozens of pages of advertising with aspirational messages.