Branded Flashcards
Which artist created this painting?
Jenny Saville
When was the painting completed?
1992
What media/material was used to create this work?
Oil on canvas
How big is the piece?
Very. (2 x 1.8m)
What is the subject matter of this painting?
an obese, nude woman, looking down on the viewer, grabbing on to her skin with words inscribed on her body
What words are inscribed?
“decorative, delicate, support”. These words show the conventional stereotype of how a woman is supposed to be and everything this woman does not appear to be
What shades are used near the shoulders?
there is red/purple shades used particularly near the shoulders which emulates the colour of bruises and shows an “imperfection”
How did Saville put the words on to the painting?
she scratched them in which makes it look as if the body really is branded. Sometimes known as “Sgraffito”
What form does the figure present?
The figure presents a triangular form which represents the stability, confidence and assertiveness of the figure. It also guides the eyes around and to specific points in the painting, e.g. the hands grabbing the stomach
What atmosphere is present in the painting?
intimidating, powerful, almost threatening.
How is the atmosphere created?
through the scale which gives the figure a dominant position over the viewer and leaves them wanting to look away but feeling intrigued and with little place to look. The challenge the facial expression adds helps create and almost threatening answer.
How is tone created?
the stomach is highlighted, the thighs then have a contrasting dark tone representing the shadows the stomach creates. There is shadow around the fingers where they grab the skin and the skin has an exaggerated highlight which adds depth and emphasises the size. There is darker tones on the right of the painting indicating the light source is the left.
What is Saville inspired by?
- Feminist literature which she discovered after visiting America and discovering confident women being celebrated, unlike what may have been witnessed in Glasgow at the time.
• The female form and flesh and the textures you can present in them. Saville claims painting flesh comes naturally to her.
- societies preconceived ideas that women should be petite and perfect. she wants to challenge this and diversify peoples opinions.
Who is Saville inspired by?
abstract painters such as Williem De Kooning as they inspire her to create drips and marks in her paintings that represent more than just decoration for example the marks she creates in the skin used to represent imperfections and what women are /really/ like
Why does she choose to paint obese women?
She wants to show what women are really like and contradict society.
