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The Stirling Girl

Posted in art, creativity, from the dark room, photography on September 30, 2007| Leave a Comment »

The Stirling Girl, originally uploaded by bobsee.

Over recent months Stirling Council has erected some information panels around the city. On one side is a map of the area and on the other are some images of that area as it was along with interesting little histories.
On the panel at the foot of the “Back Walk” I found this image. I’ve never seen it before even though its from the 1920’s.
I find it quite captivating. I love how the more you look at it the more you see. Within the picture are many of Stirling’s famous landmarks – the Wallace Monument in the feather on her head, Stirling Castle on her hat, along with the Wolf and Robert the Bruce, then around her neck the Old Stirling Bridge.
Have you seen other examples of this kind of drawing anywhere?

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Eva Bonnier

Posted in art, from the reading room, life, perception on July 25, 2007| 5 Comments »

Julia Hasselberg

I found myself captivated by this portrait of Julia Hasselberg painted by Eva Bonnier. Eva Bonnier was a Swedish artist and this painting is of her lover’s illegitimate daughter who Eva adopted after Julia’s father’s death.

This girl has a look which is very familiar to me. It’s a combination of pain and resilience. There’s reserve, distance, independence and spirit here. The kind of spirit that emerges from suffering to strengthen and protect. I find it both moving and powerful.

You can find this portrait and others by Eva Bonnier along with a really interesting short biography of her on the Giornale Nuovo blog. Thank you for posting this Mr h.

All Eva Bonnier’s portraits which you’ll see in that post share these characteristics for me. These are powerful people, fiercely independent, with that special kind of strength which emerges from suffering. One thing that fascinates me is this description of Eva Bonnier

She is reputed to have been an intelligent, strong-willed and sharp-tongued woman who ‘could neither in private nor as an artist charm or flatter her contemporaries.’

How much does the character of the artist influence their portraits of others? How much do they see a bit of themselves in their subjects and, unconsciously, highlight those qualities in them? What do you think Ester?

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