The Lacemaker

In his painting The Lacemaker, Louis Valtat presents us with an image of a young woman working on a lace. The style of the painting reminds me of the impressionist paintings that were painted at a slightly earlier date. The painting has a lot of white in it from the dress, the wall, and the fireplace on the left side, but Valtat likes to mix in a bright yellow and red into this painting, mostly in the lace but also just scattered throughout the picture. The lacemaker is sitting down with the lace she is working on resting in her lap. She is working on this from the interior of her house, or at least a home. She is dressed in a nice white dress and has her hair done in what I assume was the fashion at the time. Interpreting this art from a
It examines the way men and women are depicted differently; what is or isn’t there in a work of art about a female subject. The female subject being central in this piece gives us a great opportunity to examine a woman's’ role. This painting draws from the impressionist movement, which similarly to the realism movement, aspired to paint moments of real life. I’m making the assumption that Valtat’s painting is a scene that Valtat would expect to find in everyday life. In this picture Valtat depicts his female subject as one confined to a domestic life. The woman is depicted as making a lace. She could be making this lace in order to sell which could show progress but there is nothing in the picture to assume that is the case. The task of sewing or working with textiles is a traditional job or a role women would be expected to perform. Valtat’s woman is also confined to the home life. She is wearing a lovely white dress and has her done up. She is dressed up in a way that is to be seen, however, she is working inside her house. At this time a woman was always supposed to look presentable for their even when inside her own house. There is also a bit of irony with the fact that she is making something to be worn outside and yet she is stuck inside. The portrait shows the confinement of women to the domestic sphere by having elements meant to be outside