Skip to main content

She Becomes Her

She Becomes Her
Oil on linen
26x40”

at the National Portrait Gallery, London until 21 September 2014


This painting was inspired by the works of Robert Peake the Elder (1551 -1619) who painted women in his typical Tudor ‘flat’ style - where there was more attention to dress than to individuality or facial features. In this painting I played with modern ideas about the way women get represented in (2-dimensional) modern media: idealised, flat and unattainable. At the same time there is a real woman behind it all (face mask). I played with 2-dimensionality (writing on the painting) and 3-dimensionality (realism).
I created the costume myself, roughly inspired by late Tudor and Jacobean fashion but with modern, antique and vintage materials. A beaded ‘flapper’ cape from the 20s, golden lace from the 19th century, reproduction tudor buttons (that don’t function as buttons) and theatrical make-up.
She Becomes Her, oil, 26x40”. Detail

I created the costume for this painting by hand, working with a
beaded cape from the 1920s, golden lace from the 19th century,
silver thread, reproduction Tudor buttons etc etc.

Me working on the painting
For an organised list of ALL blog posts that I wrote during the BP Travel Award project (2 years), please see this page on my blog!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Blog moved to website

Please visit my blog on my website https://www.sophieploeg.com/blog/ to read my latest posts. Thank you!

2015 Exhibitions

Happy 2015!! I love looking ahead so I have been looking at any great exhibitions coming up. Not the ones with my work in it - necessarily - but the big ones at the major public galleries. Lots of newspapers do this but just like everybody else I never agree with their selection! In 2014 there were some real blockbuster exhibitions. I don’t always get to go because of time restraints (I have a young family so sometimes Rembrandt has to make way for Paddington Bear) but I really enjoyed the ‘Wedding Dresses’ exhibition at the V&A last year, as well as the major Veronese exhibition at the National Gallery. Of course the BP Portrait Award 2014 was a big one for me personally. I really wanted to see the Rembrandt exhibition but I simply ran out of time and had to skip it. I am no big exhibition-goer, but I am a wannabe. In no particular order I hope to see at least some of these promising exhibitions in 2015. Which ones would you recommend and have I missed? Sargent. Portrai

Pastel Society

Pleased to announce that my painting ‘Two Cushions’ has been selected to be exhibited in the Pastel Society’s annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. Two Cushions, pastel Look Again Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2015 24 February - 7 March Mall Galleries The Mall, London SW1 http://www.thepastelsociety.org.uk http://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/look-again (can I hint at an exciting exhibition coming up in...Manchester! Stay tuned...)