Zittende Tago

Description

A woman is sitting on the floor. Her face, slightly tilted, avoids the viewer’s gaze. Her clothing indicates that she is a geisha; a Japanese woman who entertained men by performing music, dancing and singing. In fact, she is wearing a traditional Kimono, richly decorated and coloured, and her face is covered with white powder. Her pale complexion contrasting with her red lipstick and highlighted black eyebrows are characteristic of the oshiroi makeup used by young geishas. Her Shimada hairstyle, consisting of an elaborate chignon decorated with combs and pins also befits the traditional custom.

Even though the painting has strong lines and bold colours, the woman’s attitude lends an impression of calm and tenderness. In the background, there is a panel that might be a window or a sliding door. Although we don’t know the exact location of the space, the architectural element known as shoji is reminiscent of a traditional Japanese interior.

Dooyewaard had a great passion for Asia. At the age of 20, he left the Netherlands for the then Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). He completed many travels in Asia, visiting China, Mongolia, India, Tibet and Japan. He was highly influenced by his experiences on these trips, and depicted human landscapes as well as figures, often in the Impressionist style.

The oriental woman motif that can also be seen in other paintings by Willem Dooyewaard, as well as in many other European artists’ works, was very popular in the late 19th century. This painting shows the keen interest in Japanese customs that was widespread at the time.

Queer perspective

Look: neither we, the observers, nor the painter meet their eyes. Do we feel we are being allowed to look, to observe? Do we feel invited to do so? How do the colours, the portrayal of the subject’s beauty practices and poses make us, the observers, feel? Yes, we are allowed to look. We are allowed to study, to observe, and be fascinated by the exotic, which remains passive and open to our gaze. Is the act of looking a metaphor for the colonial gaze? Is the act of looking a fetishization of the exotic? Is it a power game that is encouraged by the lack of confrontation?

%>Tags: gaze, fetishization, exotification, patriarchy

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