This painting from 1909-1910 by Anne Estelle Rice is on view at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, as part of the Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939 exhibition.

🧑‍🎨 Anne Estelle Rice was an American artist who traveled to Paris to paint murals for a prominent American department store (1). While there, she became immersed in the vibrant modernist art scene, exhibiting her work at the Salon d'Automne—a Parisian venue known for championing avant-garde art and showcasing groundbreaking movements like Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism and showcasing some of the 20th century's most renowned artists, including Matisse, Picasso, and Dali (2). Rice’s Self-Portrait is a striking example of the Fauvist style, which emerged from the Salon d'Automne. The Fauves rejected the prevailing styles of Impressionism and academic painting, embracing instead bold colors, expressive brushwork, and an emphasis on capturing a moment or feeling rather than exact realism (3).

🙋‍♀️According to National Portrait Gallery curator Robyn Asleson, Rice “didn’t beautify herself by any means” in this portrait, forcing viewers “to recognize her as a painter, not a beautiful thing (4).” In this work, Rice resists the male gaze and refuses to be seen as an object of male desire—painting herself on her own terms in a male-dominated field.

My floral rearrangement:

💐Inspired by Rice, I took a bold and natural approach to this arrangement. I played with the lush, fluffy shapes of hydrangeas and carnations to capture the vibrant, full form of her bouquet. I styled the blooms upright as they were held up in my assistant’s arms (thanks to my husband Mike), so they would match the angles and effortless, casual look of the painting.

Sources:

(1) Art UK. (n.d.). Anne Estelle Rice (1877–1959). Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://artuk.org/discover/artists/rice-anne-estelle-18771959

(2) Salon d'Automne. (n.d.). History. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.salon-automne.com/en/historique

(3) Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Fauvism." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 7, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/art/Fauvism.

(4) Davis, C. (2024, July). Brilliant Exiles: The National Portrait Gallery celebrates American women in Paris, 1900-1939. BmoreArt. https://bmoreart.com/2024/07/brilliant-exiles-the-national-portrait-gallery-celebrates-american-women-in-paris-1900-1939.html