London's National Gallery has acquired its first artwork by Eva Gonzalès, a distinguished French Impressionist from the upper class who studied under Édouard Manet. Her recognition waned after her premature death in 1883 from complications of childbirth. Gonzalès is now the 20th female artist featured in the museum's collection, which showcases approximately 750 artists from the mid-13th century to 1900.
Christopher Riopelle, the Neil Westreich curator of post-1800 paintings at the National Gallery, noted that Gonzalès was among several female artists whose legacies did not endure, overshadowed by male contemporaries.
The painting acquired, "La Psyché" (The Full-length Mirror) (circa 1869-70), depicts a quiet moment of a woman gazing into a mirror, purchased for £1.5 million under a tax-beneficial arrangement. This makes it only the second Gonzalès work in a UK public collection, with "The Donkey Ride" (circa 1880-82) at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.
Gonzalès, born in 1849 into a cultured, bourgeois family, began formal art training at 16 with Charles Chaplin. She met Manet at 19, became his model and student, and debuted at the Paris Salon in 1870, the same year she painted "La Psyché" and Manet completed two portraits of her.
Thirteen years after beginning her artistic career, Eva Gonzalès died at 34, already an established artist. "Her death came just weeks after Manet's, which has led to her fame being overly linked with his," says Riopelle.
Despite claims that Gonzalès merely mimicked Manet’s style, Riopelle highlights that she actually influenced her mentor, especially in his use of pastels. “As more of her works come to light, we see she was quite a fascinating figure. By the time she joined Manet’s studio, she already had a unique artistic identity," he explains. "Manet recognized her as more than a mere conformist student."
"La Psyché" was purchased from a private British collection that acquired it in 1952 for about £200. "It has been cherished yet hidden away for 70 years," Riopelle notes. The acquisition was made possible through legacy donations from Martha Doris Bailey, Gillian Cleaver, and Sheila Mary Holmes, with over a quarter of the National Gallery's works acquired through bequests.
Asked if the National Gallery plans to acquire more works by women, Riopelle answers affirmatively. "It's obvious we should. Facing tough competition to enter our collection, an artist's work must really stand out. Like Artemisia [Gentileschi], Eva Gonzalès's 'La Psyché', with its nuanced depiction of a woman's private world in a traditional Parisian apartment, certainly does," he asserts.
Selena Mattei