with love, portrait of a black woman

Portrait of a black woman, Portrait of Madeleine, Portrait d’une femme noire or Portrait d’une negresse.

An oil in canvas painting that express the beauty of black women.
Giving space for black people to be the center of a painting and portrayed in a positive way in a time where black people were always portrayed as the help and/or lower class and always in the background. Although her right breast is undoubtedly present, there’s nothing sexual about it. Something that was a common behaviour towards black women at the time. The constant mixture of being sexually fetishized and ridiculed for our looks (some things that still happens ‘til this day).
But there are people that wouldn’t agree with me, who think that this painting was exploitative to the black women of the time in French society. Don’t forget that this artwork was made in the 1800’s. Their opinions derived mostly from the fact that the painter’s other works depicts fully clothed white women. And yes, they might be right since I do understand where they’re coming from. It definitely made me raise an eyebrow. But it is up to each and every one of us to interpret paintings in a way that makes sense to us, albeit, with some knowledge and respect for the period said painting was created.

My take on The birth of Venus.

Portrait of a black woman, Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1800)

I find it intensely striking and powerful. With her exposed breast, I think it’s beautifully raw and humanizing for a time where black people was looked at with a bombastic side-eye. The French painter was very bold for this one and I can’t wait to buy it and hang it in my home.
A printed version of it of course because I sure as hell can’t afford the authentic one.

If you wish to learn more:
ArtStoryLab – Portrait of a Black Woman by Marie Guillemine Benoist
SmartHistory.org