A Fauvist Self-Portrait
Inspired by Lee Simonson’s Self Portrait, 1912
This painting from 1912 by Lee Simonson is on view at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
🧑🎨 From the theater to painting, Simonson was an artist committed to seeing what “painters’ and designers’ vision could do to revitalize the theater.”(1) He painted Self-Portrait in 1912, at the age of 24, after returning from Paris, where he had met famous artists and experienced experimental theater. I see this painting as a projection of who he wanted to become—a statement at the launch of his career as a theater set designer and architect.
🖼️ Simonson was inspired by the Fauves, a group of French artists (including Matisse) whose name, meaning “wild beasts,” was coined by an art critic of the time. The Fauves rejected the popular styles of the time—Impressionism and academic painting—in favor of vibrant colors, rough brushwork, and a decorative approach. As a theater designer, it’s clear why Simonson was drawn to this style (2).
My floral rearrangement:
📷I loved working with the Fauvist style, with saturated, intense hues. To capture a similar effect, I chose maroon dahlias but waited a few days until they were past their peak, allowing the yellow pollen centers to really pop. The dahlia petals perfectly embody the bold brushwork of Fauvism. For the yellow accents, I used daisies and goldenrod. From a floral design perspective, this was a striking arrangement—yellow and purple are complementary colors on the color wheel.
Sources:
(1) Simon, S. The brush: An exhibition of American paintings [Exhibition webpage]. National Portrait Gallery. https://npg.si.edu/exh/brush/simon.htm.
(2) Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Fauvism." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 7, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/art/Fauvism.