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exhibitions, but also through requirements and standards that the

academies promoted. During the late 19th century, high society and art
academies continued to exert great control over the relationships that
existed between man and woman, the art and the artist.

Eda Sterchi: Embodying the New Woman


INTRODUCTION
In the late 1920s, on the threshold of Americas modern era in art and
design, Eda Sterchi (1885-1969) proved a celebrated female artist,
receiving prestigious awards. She was a unique figure who pursued an art
career in an era that was full of discussion about the modern woman ideal
yet short in its acceptance of professional women in any career, let alone
that of artist. She initially studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and in
Paris. Later traveling alone through North Africa, painting soon-to-be
acclaimed desert landscapes, Sterchi was recognized for her mastery of
Arabic as well as an appreciation of Arab culture in general. This daring
chapter in her life was no doubt part of Sterchis own evolution as the
embodiment of the modern woman, the process for which may have
begun a decade before, when she explored the role of independence
versus social norm in a series of paintings depicting women. These
works, as represented by the c. 1913 painting Two Women in an Interior in
the collection of Johns Hopkins Universitys Evergreen Museum & Library,
identify with both European modernism and the still-being-formulated
redefinition of a modern woman. In this painting, Sterchi portrays two
figures - a traditional Gibson Girl-type caregiver and a reclining New
Woman-style spirit, showing them as physical manifestations of
established Victorian expectations and a counter modern ambition for all
women. The relevance of such contrast applied not just to Sterchi, but to
many other women of the early-20th century, including Evergreens own
Alice Warder Garrett (1877-1952).
WOMEN ARTISTS
Although the late Victorian era and the Gilded Age marked a vibrant period
of economic advancement, gender roles and academia continued to
present backwards attitudes towards women, especially in the arts. The
relationships between men and women were defined by a concept of
separate spheres where women were considered physically weaker, yet
morally superior to men (Hughes 1). Upper-class women were especially
confined to domestic expectations. Raised with the goal of a successful
marriage, these young women became accomplished in singing, drawing,
and dancing, but upon marrying were expected to assume a confining
domestic role. The art realm was similarly constrained by a hierarchy in
the relationships between most academies and artists. For example in
Britain and France, the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Academy of
Painting and Sculpture provided instruction for art students and
sponsored exhibitions (Gardner 351). For one to become an artist, he or
she would encounter the academies not only in their studies and

Considering the attitudes that existed within the two communities, women
in the arts experienced both promotions and setbacks. In aristocratic
circles, art was considered one of the few respectable occupations open
to the ever-growing number of unmarried or impoverished genteel women
who needed some means of supporting themselves (Rubinstein 91).
Although upper-class women were not necessarily encouraged to become
professional artists, many practiced the arts as amateurs and acted as
patrons for the arts. As mentioned previously, there was a certain
expectation that a young woman, preparing for marriage, maintained a
level of proficiency in painting as a suitable accomplishment (Nochlin
164). But attendance of professional art academies was a different story
as women were not accepted into free public art institutions, such as the
Ecole des Beaux-Arts, until the late 1890s (Myers 1). Instead, they had to
turn to expensive alternatives, such as private academies or studios,
which were still conservative in their approach to teaching lady painters.
Learning to paint from nude models was considered an essential part of
an artists training, yet there was the complete unavailability to the
aspiring woman artist of any nude models at all (159). Female painters
were allowed to draw from plaster models, but male nude models were
completely off-limits to them. Even when women were admitted to life
drawing classes in the latter half of the 19th century, the nude had to be
partially draped. In addition to this restriction, the societal expectation for
women to remain home further limited female artists in the subjects that
could be painted. As a result, many women preferred anti-academic
movements, such as Realism and Impressionism, which emphasized
everyday subjects over historical themes (Myers 5). Before the arrival of
the 20th century, the social and artistic spheres were limiting and
restricting in their attitudes towards women. Eda Sterchis painting, Two
Women in an Interior, represents a dynamic change that began for women
both socially and artistically.
JAPONISME AND THE NABIS
In an analysis of Two Women, the form and context of the piece allude to a
more intricate story behind the two subjects. Two Women is an oil painting
that is characterized by a linear quality and flatness. The subtle green
outlines of the figures, the divisive black lines in the back panel and the
geometric shapes in the bed refer to a Japanese-born aestheticism, which
was popular during the time. After Japan opened its ports to Western
trade in 1853, art in Europe was heavily influenced by an influx of woodcut
prints that demonstrated simple transitory everyday subjects from the
floating world (Ives 1). In addition to flat color and linear elements,
Japanese woodblock prints characteristically included bright colors, as
well as asymmetrical placement and cropping of figures, all of which are
seen in Two Women. Japonisme clearly influenced Sterchi directly and
indirectly, not only through popular woodblock prints but also through work
of other avant-garde artists who were equally taken with Japanese
techniques.
Another essential aspect of Two Women is the contrast created by the use
of blocked expanses of color throughout the scene. This style is reflective
of the French Nabis, a movement started by a group of Parisian artists of
the late 1880s that broke from traditional uses of form and color in order to
evoke deeper emotions and ideals (Auricchio 1). The bright green
background as well as the simple segments of white, red, and purple in
Sterchis work follows the Nabis ideal of broad planes of unmediated
color, thick outlines, and bold patterns (1). Meaning prophet in French,
the Nabis was one of the many avante-garde movements that arose to
form European modernism. As Sterchi studied in Paris in 1913, she was
most likely surrounded by various avante-garde movements that
influenced her work (Doan 1). A combination of Japonisme and European

modernism provides a foundation for the story of the two women in the
piece.
In Sterchis painting, there are two women, most likely a caretaker and a
mistress, resting in the natural, intimate setting of a home. The caretaker
especially, with her black hair and robe, indicates certain Western Victorian
strictures of fashion, style, and social behavior. However, they may also
be inspired by a Japanese aesthetic. In Japanese art, a common feature
of ukiyo-e art (art depicting everyday life) was bijinga or pictures of
beautiful people (Meier 3). Usually courtesans and kabuki actors from the
pleasure districts, the beautiful Japanese women could have inspired the
aesthetic of the two women in the piece. It is also possible that the
reclining nude depicted in the works of other European artists of the time
influenced the depiction of Sterchis reclining mistress. In reference to the
c. 1863 painting Olympia by French artist Edouard Manet (1832-1883),
Olympia arrogantly confronts... and undermines tradition... posing as a
classic nude (Lipton 48). Manet depicted Olympia, a reclining female
prostitute, as a challenge to the conventional ideals of femininity, which
outraged many critics at the time. Although Sterchis woman is not nude
or openly confrontational, she suggests a relaxed, uncaring attitude
towards her environment and the paintings viewer.
A GIBSON GIRL IDEAL
The two women depicted in this piece are also representative of the
Gibson Girl and the New Woman. Identified with illustrator Charles Dana
Gibson, the Gibson Girl became the quintessential American beauty of the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. Adopted by the popular press, the
Gibson Girl was someone who women of different races, levels of
education, and varying social classes aspired to be. The concept and
beauty of the Gibson Girl was in many ways a continuation from the prior
Victorian era, yet she posed a modern figure as a confident player in the
mating game. Because of her widespread feminine appeal, the Gibson
Girl was widely represented in art collected by upper-class patrons, like
Alice Warder Garrett, who emulated her makeup, hairstyle, and fashion.
In Sterchis Two Women, the Gibson Girl-figure, represented by the
caretaker, establishes the first suggestion of a step from the Victorian ideal
of womanhood.
The Gibson Girl offered not only a popular image but also a standard of
feminine beauty and behavior in the United States until World War I.
According to Charles Dana Gibson, the quintessential American woman
possessed a flawlessly beautiful face, was tall and slim-waisted yet
voluptuous, and radiated physical grace and self-confidence (Gibson
Girls America). Gibson illustrated the Gibson Girl with inspiration from
his wife and sisters as a representation of all beautiful American women.
Gibsons idealism created a white bourgeois ideal representing the
pinnacle of evolutionary accomplishment and serving as the foundation for
American dominance on a world stage (Patterson 34). With the rising
popularity of social evolution and American imperialism, the Gibson Girl
was an evolutionary culmination of beautiful women, a survival of the
fittest and the most attractive. In addition to this ideology of social
evolution, the Gibson Girl was defined by the culture of consumerism. As
the United States increasingly industrialized and urbanized, a developing
market economy encouraged women to buy new products as consumers
(Patterson 33). The popular press used the image of the Gibson Girl in
magazines and advertisements to perpetuate this consumerist attitude
towards attaining beauty and friendship. From a consumer to an
evolutionary ideal, the Gibson Girl symbolized both the individual and the
nation.
The image of the Gibson Girl was established by distinct characteristics
and attitudes. Her waterfall of curls, S-shape figure, and her dress were
similar to their respective Victorian counterparts. The main difference
between her and the earlier Victorian woman existed in their respective
attitudes towards men. While the Victorian woman waited demurely for a

husband, the Gibson Girl was often depicted seeking out a mate
(Patterson 32). Although the emphasis was still placed on the system of
matrimony, the Gibson Girl mentality shifted the womens role to an active,
confident woman who could choose her partner. However, this newfound
freedom was limited to certain acceptable social activities. Gibsons
portrayal of the Gibson Girl did not support a public life, illustrating women
such as suffragettes in a much more negative light. The Gibson Girls
modern approach to choosing a husband could not disguise her innately
Victorian purpose - domestic manager, mother, and silent spouse.
Referring once again to her appearance, the Gibson Girls large bust,
corseted waist, and voluminous hair represented female allure and
fecundity (Patterson 42). The difficult practice of corseting represented the
suppression and self-control of a womans desires to satisfy such male
standards of beauty. While she was considered the first popular image of
the New Woman, the Gibson Girl was ultimately created with the
expectation that she would perpetuate the human race through
motherhood.
EVERGREENS ALICE WARDER GARRETT
At Evergreen, the Gibson Girl image is prevalent through drawings,
paintings, and sculptures of Alice Garrett, ne Warder. A bust by Pietro
Canonica (1869-1959) and pastel portrait by Bradford Johnson (unknown
dates) reflect similar feminine ideals to those defined by the Gibson Girl.
Although the details of Pietro Canonicas relationship with the then Alice
Warder are unknown, he was very influential among the upper class,
aristocratic circles of Europe. The bust shows a woman whose hair is
swept up into an elegant bun, staring gracefully at something off to the
side. The white plaster of the statue highlights a gentle delicacy in her
neck and dress. At the same time, Alices firm gaze gives credit to a
strong and independent character. Little is known about the portrait artist
Bradford Johnson and his relationship with his sitter also remains in
obscurity. However, his rendering shows a similarity with Canonicas bust.
The figure was drawn in a semi-transparent manner, except at the eyes;
the clothing is vaguely represented, contributing to an alluring yet proper
portrayal of Alice. With her waterfall of curls style of wispy hair,
elongated neck, and feminine frontal gaze, the still unmarried Alice Warder
reminds the viewer of contemporary Gibson Girl illustrations. Both works
convey a woman of still lingering Victorian fashion, yet her confident aura
differentiates such from the traditional Victorian woman.
Alice Warders courtship with and marriage to John Work Garrett fulfilled
the hopes of the fictional Gibson Girl. Coming from a well-to-do family,
Alice met her future husband in Berlin in 1905 (Abbott 12). John pursued
her, but he was not alone in his courting as another man, Francis Welch
Crowninsheild, also sought Alices favor. In this situation, Alice Warder
reflected the girl of Charles Dana Gibsons illustrations, feminine yet
confident in her ability to choose her own husband. In the end, she chose
John Work Garrett and the lifestyle of a diplomats wife. They
immediately left for Europe [because of] Johns transition from Second
Secretary at the American embassy in Berlin to First Secretary within the
American Embassy in Rome (13). As a diplomats wife, Alice Warder
Garrett would have felt the pressure to continue the fashionable aspects of
Victorian dress and conform to an established societal perception of her
rank. At the same time, she promoted her own independence as an active
volunteer to the American Red Cross in Paris and as a patron of the arts
and music. In these instances, Mrs. Garrett acted as the embodiment of
the Gibson Girl.
Returning to Sterchis painting, the caretaker in Two Women has a very
similar hairstyle and traditional clothing perpetuated by the Gibson Girl.
Portrayed in darker clothing, she contrasts the lighter colors of the other
womans dress and the bedroom, itself. She is also sitting at the edge of
the bed, looking downwards in a more constrained pose. As a caretaker
figure, she may represent an older woman possibly of a lower class than
the reclining woman. Sterchis image seemingly replicates that of both
Canonicas and Johnsons earlier portrayals of the single Alice Warder.

The portraits of Alice identify with the positive attributes of the Gibson Girl young, graceful, feminine, and confident. However, in Two Women, the
Gibson Girl-style caretaker is compositionally and characteristically
confined by her location and her role. Perhaps, this contrast is a
statement on the rising obsolescence of the Victorian ideal in contrast to
the freedom of the New Woman constructs.
ORIGINS OF THE NEW WOMAN
In the transition period between centuries, rapid urbanization and
industrialization called for the modernization of different systems, including
the roles of women. In a culture that increasingly promoted independence
and growth, the New Woman stemmed from the political, social, and
economic environment of the Progressive Era. Politically, women were
rallying for suffrage and raising awareness about the problems that arose
from the city environment. Socially, divorce rates were rising as birth rates
were falling. Also, more women were beginning to attend college and
pursuing a higher education, which led to greater involvement of women in
the work force. By the 20th century, an estimated 5 million women, or
one out of every five, were employed in a number of differentfields
(Patterson 8). Economically, industrialization and other forces created a
corporate and consumer culture. These dynamic factors nurtured and
developed the New Woman, who dramatically diverged from previous
social expectations of women (6-11). While the popular press often
portrayed the New Woman negatively, new styles and art movements
propelled her image as the modern woman.
The idea of the New Woman originated in Europe in part due to fin de
sicle (end of the century) attitudes. Sarah Grand, an Irish feminist writer,
coined the term the new woman to represented a sympathetic woman
who was also self-sufficing and self-supporting. According to her, the new
woman is a little above [the Bawling Brotherhood]... where she has been
sitting apart in silent contemplation all these years... until at last she solved
the problem (Grand 27). The Bawling Brotherhood, referring to men who
actively supported womens suffrage during the late 1800s, were
attempting to solve the question of what the fundamental role of women
should be in western countries. Sarah Grand proposed that men and
women cooperate to solve the conflicts regarding suffrage, marriage, and
sexual freedom. Although the New Woman originated as a noble
character, she became associated with fin de sicle debauchery and
sensuality. In Europe, the [Victorian] fin de sicle emphasis on the
importance of pursuing new sensations also, inevitably, led to sex and
sexuality playing an increasingly important part (Buzwell 1). Many social
critics responded negatively towards the new degenerate generation that
seemed to arrive with the 20th century (Degeneration (1895), Max
Nordau). However, artists, especially Art Nouveau artists and illustrators,
depicted the New Woman positively in magazines and posters (Jugend,
1896). The New Womans arrival into the new century sparked much
more controversy than the Gibson Girl because she openly defied the
social order of the Victorian era.
MORE THAN ONE NEW WOMAN
From the start, there existed two images of the New Woman portrayed by
her critics and her supporters. Among the popular press (largely serving a
rich and white audience), the New Woman was an unattractive,
browbeating usurper of traditionally masculine roles (Patterson 2). In
most illustrations of the New Woman, she was portrayed as manly and
tiring, often working as a suffragette or a self-professed artist.
Considered a traitor to her sex, she lacked the grace and elegance of the
more acceptable, perhaps less threatening Gibson Girl. For example,
Charles Dana Gibsons A Suffragettes Husband depicted the New
Woman as a portly older female looking at the newspaper while her
exhausted husband sat to the side. Such illustrations reflected a
disapproving attitude within the mainstream male-dominated society.

TIDYING UP (left), 1941,


Isabel Bishop. Oil on
Masonite. Collection of the
Indianapolis Museum of Art,
Delavan Smith Fund. A
SUFFRAGETTES HUSBAND
(below), 1911, Charles Dana
Gibson. This work was
originally intended as
illustration for Gibsons book,

On the other hand, some artists began to recognize the New Woman as
representative of a growing population of domestic consumers - middleand working-class women. Contrary to the opinion of the popular press,
modernist artists observed the bourgeois womans growing engagement
with educational, political, and occupational pursuits outside the home,
reflecting this reality in their artwork (Todd, xxvii). Although they were
more active from the 1930s to 1940s, the Fourteenth Street School in New
York City helped to construct a more objective image of the New Woman.
Isabel Bishop (1902-1988) was a female artist of the Fourteenth Street
School. She focused on genre paintings of working class women,
embodying... a middle-class ideology of office work that... negotiated
class and gender differences (Todd 282). Her c. 1938 painting, Tidying
Up, depicts an office woman who is checking her appearance in the mirror.
Seen alone, this modern and fashionable woman is caught in an everyday
moment that is idealized but not sexualized. Artists, like Isabel Bishop,
had a growing fascination with the New Woman that helped to reconfigure
the negative image that was produced by the popular press.
THE NEW WOMAN VIA THE COLLECTORS EYE
At Evergreen, the New Womans character is reflected by the styles of
experimental and avant-garde artists. The portrait of Alice Warder Garrett
by Paul Thevenas (1891-1921) shows a unique style that compliments his
subject. Thevenas was known as a rhythmycian for his stylistic
interpretation that connected art and music (Van Saanen). As a result, his
portraits are linear and precise, but also harmonious in form. The portrait
of Mrs. Garrett shows a woman with a stylish bob haircut and bright red
lipstick that contributes to the dramatic aura that she exudes through the
vibrant green foliage in the background. Through Thevenas interpretation,
Mrs. Garrett is a vibrant combination of colors and shapes that stands out
from the paper. Unlike earlier portrayals reminiscent of the Gibson Girl
model, Mrs. Garrett is depicted in a very masculine style, corresponding to
the self-sufficient characteristics of the New Woman. The portrait
combines Alice Warder Garretts two enduring passions, art and music.
Studying voice from an early age, Alice had formulated a belief that one
had to experience the training of voice and the act of performing to truly
appreciate the art of opera (Abbott 12-3). Even after marrying John Work
Garrett, she continued to study voice into the 1920s. She would never

perform professionally, only at charity and other private events, especially


at her home, Evergreen. In addition to her love for music, Mrs. Garrett
showed a unique connoisseurship in her selection of dynamic, modern
works.
The painting Woman with a Mirror by Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940) is
similar to Sterchis painting Two Women in style as well as character. Part
of the Nabis movement, Vuillard used expanses of color and layers to
render the figure and the background in a textured manner. The subject of
this piece is a woman with a bob haircut who is looking into a mirror, a
comparable subject and composition to Tidying Up by Isabel Bishop. In
contrast to the previous images suggestive of the Gibson Girl, the woman
holding the mirror seems comfortable as she briefly checks her reflection.
In accordance with the New Woman convention, she does not have an
uptight bun or formal attire, but instead dons non-constricting clothing that
reflects the consumerism and culture of a modern era. Although not a
portrait of Alice Warder Garrett, the character in the piece can be seen as
a projection of her. Mrs. Garrett collected modern artworks like this as an
active patron for avant-garde artists. Specifically, during Mr. Garretts
relocation to Paris during the First World War, she met artists like Vuillard.
Later on, when she settled at Evergreen, she built a new collection of
European and American modern art to adorn the walls (Abbott 18). Much
like the character in Woman with a Mirror, Mrs. Garrett adopted a modern
attitude and character in her independence and control as a patron of the
arts.
As a New Woman figure, the reclining woman in Sterchis painting Two
Women in an Interior is the main focus of the painting, compositionally and
thematically. Dressed in white the woman lounges on her bed in a casual
manner. The white allows her to stand out from the dark hues of the
caretaker woman and even the vibrant colors of the room. By her
posturing, she takes up much of the space, which draws the eye
immediately to her figure. Furthermore her free-flowing hair, upward
expression, and loose dress all suggest a comfortableness that is
unfettered by the frame of the painting. Unlike the caretaker, the reclining
woman is a modern and independent New Woman. Sterchis positive
depiction of this reclining figure contrasts with many negative depictions of
the New Woman by the then popular press but imitates the empowering
images of an independent woman of means by Isabel Bishop, Paul
Thevenas, and Edouard Vuillard. Like the women these other artists
portrayed, Sterchis reclining woman commands our attention. Perhaps,
she is a reflection of Eda Sterchi herself, who defied the status quo to
pursue her own dreams.

Auricchio, Laura. The Nabis and Decorative Painting. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oct. 2004. Web. 7 Sept. 2015.
<https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dcpt/hd_dcpt.htm>.
Bishop, Isabel. Tidying Up. 1941. Oil on masonite. Collection of Indianapolis Museum of Art,
Indianapolis. Delavan Smith Fund. (43.24)
Buzwell, Greg. "Daughters of Decadence: The New Woman in the Victorian Fin
De Siecle." British Library. British Library, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/daughters-of-decadence-the-newwoman-in-the-victorian-fin-de-siecle>.
Canonica, Pietro. Bust of Alice Warder. 1907. Plaster. Collection of Evergreen Museum &
Library, Baltimore.
Doan, Jan. Eda Sterchi. N.d. Raw data.
Gardner, Helen, Fred S. Kleiner, and Christin J. Mamiya. Europe and America, 1850-1900.
Gardners Art through the Ages: A Concise History. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006.
344-69. Print.
Gibson, Charles Dana. A Suffragette's Husband. 1911. Illustration. Other People.
"The Gibson Girl's America: Drawings by Charles Dana Gibson." Library of Congress. Lib.
of Cong., 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2016. <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/gibson-girlsamerica/creating-an-ideal.html>.
Grand, Sarah. The New Aspect of the Woman Question. North American Review 158.448
(1894): 270-76. JSTOR. Web. 11 Dec. 2015. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25103291>.
Hughes, Kathryn. "Gender Roles in the 19th Century." The British Library. British Library,
n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2016. <http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-inthe-19th-century>.
Ives, Colta. Japonisme. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Oct. 2004. Web. 10 Sept. 2015. <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm>.
Johnson, Bradford. Portrait of Alice Garrett. n.d. Pencil, gouache, conte crayon.
Collection of Evergreen Museum & Library, Baltimore. (1952.1.134)
Lipton, Eunice. "Manet: A Radicalized Female Imagery." Artforum 13 (1975): 48-53. Print.
Meier, Anna Moblard. Beneath the Printed Pattern:Display and Disguise in Ukiyo-e Bijinga.
Bryn Mawr: Bryn Mawr College, 2013. Print.
Myers, Nicole. "Women Artists in Nineteenth-Century France." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sept. 2008. Web. 2 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/19wa/hd_19wa.htm>.
Nochlin, Linda. Why have there been no great women artists?. The feminism and visual
culture reader (1971): 229-233.
Patterson, Martha H. Beyond the Gibson Girl: Reimagining the American New Woman,
1895-1915. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2005. Print.
Rubinstein, Charlotte Streifer. The Gilded Age, 1876-1900. American Women Artists: From
Early Indian Times to the Present. New York: Avon, 1982. 91-157. Print.
Sterchi, Eda Elisabeth. Two Women in an Interior. 1913. Oil on canvas. Collection of
Evergreen Museum & Library, Baltimore. Gift of Anis and Michael Merson.
Thevenas, Paul. Portrait of Alice Garrett. n.d. Pencil and watercolor. Collection of Evergreen
Museum & Library, Baltimore. (1952.1.133)
Todd, Ellen Wiley. The New Woman Revised: Painting and Gender Politics on Fourteenth
Street. Berkeley: U of California P, 1993. Print.
Van Saanen, Marie Louise. "Paulet Thevenas, Painter and Rythmatist: Whose Cult
Proclaims a Relation between Sculpture, Painting and Dancing." Vanity Fair Aug. 1916: 49.
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<http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/paul_thevenaz_1920s_painter_interview_by_Marie_L
ouise_Van_Saanen-pdf>.
Vuillard, Edouard. Woman with a Mirror. N.d. Pastel on paper. Collection of Evergreen
Museum & Library, Baltimore. Gift of Walter Berry. (1952.1.39)

CONCLUSION
An analysis of the c. 1913 painting, Two Women in an Interior, reveals the
modernity of thought that Sterchi employed in her painting technique in
addition to her subject matter. Influenced by multiple factors that
characterized the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the piece is a
reflection of both European modernism and feminist imagery. Regarding
the two women in the painting, the story of the modern woman does not
end with the Gibson Girl and the New Woman. The popularity and appeal
of the Gibson Girl declined by World War I, but the image of the New
Woman endured into the 1930s and 1940s with the new popular culture
revolving around the Jazz Age flapper and her like successors. While the
New Woman outlasted the Gibson Girl, both of their portrayals in various
media pervade our understanding of modern womanhood and feminism.
Eda Sterchi and Alice Warder Garrett both embodied aspects of the
Gibson Girl and the New Woman, making them some of the first modern
women for a modern age. AC
WORKS CITED
Abbott, James Archer. "Evergreen: A House's History." 2015. MS.

CURATOR
Eda Sterchi: Embodying the New Woman is curated by senior Alice Choe
of River Hill High School in
Howard County, Maryland.
Ms. Choe has served as a
student curator of Evergreen
Museum & Library for the
full 2015-16 academic year.

Housed in a former Gilded Age mansion surrounded by Italian-style


gardens, Evergreen Museum & Library is at once an intimate collection
of fine and decorative art, rare books and manuscripts assembled by two
generations of Baltimores philanthropic Garrett family, and a vibrant,
inspirational venue for contemporary art. As a teaching museum of Johns
Hopkins University, Evergreen contributes to the advancement of
scholarship and museum practice by helping to train future art historian,
historic preservationists, and museum professionals
museums.jhu.edu

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