Tag: Oil Paintings

Jesse Mockrin 2 – Witchy Women

On By ResaIn Jesse Mockrin54 Comments

In Botanicals

Women healers practiced medicine for thousands of years.

Old Magic (2025) Oil on Linen

“In the late Middle Ages (1300-1500 CE), these practices were criminalized, and women who worked with plant medicine were rebranded as witches.“

Witches became an archetype for story telling.

Forbidden Fruit (2025) Oil on Linen

“In her recent paintings of witchy women, Mockrin depicts lush, fertile landscapes replete with plants women used to promote menstrual health, sexual health, and for abortion.”

Botanicals included mandrake, mugwort, fennel and dittany.

In Myth

DAPHNE

Daphne is a river nymph from ancient Greek Mythology.

She was the daughter of the river god Peneus.

Daphne “took a vow of chastity and rejected all romantic advances toward her.

The god Apollo fell in love with the river nymph, and when she rejected him, he attempted to rape her.

Daphne ran to the banks of her father’s river, begging him for help.

Intending to protect his daughter from Apollo’s violence, Peneus transformed her forever into a laurel tree.“

I’m intrigued by how Mockrin depicts Daphne as 3 different faces.

A Story told this many times becomes a forest (2024) Triptych – Oil on Linen

Turns out it is 3 stages of transforming – right to left. It comes originally from a poem by Sophia Stid (2020) DAPHNE PURSUED BY APOLLO.

The polestar of Mockrin’s painting is Daphne’s face. Apollo is banished to the outside of the frame.

SYRINX

A Greek and Roman myth, it resembles the tale of Daphne.

Syrinx (2018) Oil on Canvas

“Srynx ran from the satyr Pan, who tried to rape her.

As she approached the shore of a river, she called out to her river nymph sisters for help.

They transformed her into a crop of reeds, which Pan cut to fashion a flute from her.

Even the invention of wind instruments was used to justify sexual violence in the ancient world”.

Sexual violence and even the invention of wind instruments…? I didn’t find further info re; that statement, but…

Oil on canvas – 1722/24

I did stumble upon a painting of Pan chasing Srynx, by – Jean-François de Troy. The free download (& more info) is from the Getty Museum. Click Srynx on the left to view the page.

Could not resist a compare image of Jesse Mockrin’s vision, with Jean-François de Troy’s.

Pics taken by Resa – May 14, 2024

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada

Source: Getty Images – Flag Art Foundation & Art Gallery of Ontario – “Bold italics in quotes are from the plaquards by the paintings”.

The Fairie Queene, Judith & a Bolognese Elite

On By ResaIn Making Her Mark148 Comments

Lady Diana Beauclerk

British (1735 – 1808)

This watercolour is an illustration for Canto XII, verses 30-33, from The Fairie Queen: written by Edmund Spencer.

Circa 1781- Watercolour on paper

Diana Beauclerk was the daughter of the 3rd Duke of Marlborough and Lady Diana Spencer (Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Charlotte, 1761)

A scandalous figure, she left her husband.

She then had a clandestine affair with Topham Beauclerk, had an illegitimate child, divorced and remarried. Diana wound up having to earn a living with her artistic abilities.

An amateur artist, she was touted as painting in crayons. She worked as an illustrator, did admirable caricatures and created ceramic designs; notably for Wedgewood.

Click on poetry to read it more clearly.

The Fairie Queen is available to download for free from the Project Gutenburg.

Fede Galiza

Italian – (1578 – 1630)

Judith with the Head of Holofernes – (1596) Oil on canvas

Fede’s father, Nunzio Galizia was a miniature portraitist who taught his daughter. By the age of 12 she was an accomplished artist.

Although she gained prominence in her lifetime, she did not acquire commissions, as her male counterparts did. Largely forgotten, she was rediscovered in the early 20th century.

In her lifetime, Galizia painted at least forty-four still lifes, some of which have been sold for millions. These represent about two thirds of her work. She is credited with having helped define early 17th century still life painting

The biblical tale of Judith is possibly the most feminist in art history.

A beautiful Jewish widow, she went with her faithful maid to the Assyrian enemy general Holofernes tent, and seduced him.

This gained his trust, and she was allowed into his tent freely, thereafter.

One night as he slept drunkenly, Judith decapitated him. She brought his head back to her timorous countrymen.

“Fede Galizia portrayed a calm, bejewelled Judith, with immaculate clothes and accessories at odds with the violence of her act.”

Lavinia Fontana

Italian – (1552 – 1614)

Portrait of Costanza Alidosi – (circa 1595) Oil on canvas

“Like many Renaissance artists, Lavinia Fontana used symbolism to convey messages in her paintings.”

In this painting, the noblewoman’s lap dog (an accessory must of the times) represents her faithfulness.

The juniper blossoms peeking from her neckline represent chasteness.

“Fontana also highlighted her sitter’s status through luxurious clothing and accessories.”

Note the pearl necklace, gold embroidered dress and fabulous lace details!

She was a celebrity, who documented not just fashion of the era, but also fashion accessories.

“Alidosi was one of many Bolognese elites who commissioned their portraits from Fontana”.

Lavinia Fontana was one of the most successful female artists in Bologna, Italy. Fontana left the largest body of existing art by any woman, who was painting prior to the 1700’s. Although much of her work is recorded but lost, about 150 works remain.

This is a lovely large painting.

As one can see, it sits about 18″ from the floor, and rises high above the information placquard, which is at low eye level.

Lavinia Fontana, was recently covered in an earlier post of Making her Mark. To learn more about her, please head over to the following:

Jesus – Paintings by Women in the 16th & 17th centuries

Photos taken by ©️ Resa McConaghy – May 24, 2024

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada

Quotes in bold italics are from the Art Gallery of Ontario display placquards.

Click on banner to go to resource links.

The Art of Jesse Mockrin – pt.1

On By ResaIn Jesse Mockrin106 Comments

ECHO

“Reworking familiar imagery is just my way of giving history a second look.” – Jesse Mockrin

Only Sound Remains – oil on linen

Based in Philadelphia, this artist examines Renaissance and Baroque artists’ art, with an eye on the survival of traditional narratives and beliefs in contemporary society. She then intervenes with her own modern canon.

Jesse Mockrin’s paintings “respond to histories of sexual violence and cruel treatment of women over millennia of myth and story, offering interventions and moments of resistance.”

Collectively, the paintings in ECHO highlight “an ongoing battle for bodily autonomy”.

The above painting is based on the Greek and Roman myth of Echo and Hera.

By Her Hand – oil on linen

The biblical widow and heroine, Judith, beheads Assyrian General Holofernes and saves her people. This was a popular subject for artists in the 15 & 1600’s due to the “stark contrast between Judith’s femininity and the aggression of her violence.”

Behold/Beholden – oil on linen

Mockrin builds up thin glazes of oil paint, a European Renaissance developed technique. “she crops her composition sharply, hiding critical elements of a story and leaving conflict unresolved.”

Unvarnished, her paintings have an eerie flatness.

In mid-stream – oil on canvas

“Grasping, pulling, lifting …. I am drawn to the ways that Baroque painters build drama and tension into their compositions.” Jesse Mockrin

Based on Ruben’s The Massacre of the Innocents, the woman in the right panel is based on one of the mothers protecting her children.

Painted circa 1610, The Massacre of the Innocents resides in the AGO’s collection. The photo on the left is an allowable share from the AGO. Click on the image to visit the page, and a larger version of the masterpiece..

In the Book of Genesis – Rachel and Leah were both married to Jacob.

Leah had many children. After many years of yearning to be a mother, Rachel had 2 sons. She died giving birth to the second child.

Longing – oil on linen
Lovesick – oil on linen
A cry is heard – oil on linen

“It’s very emotional and very real, her longing for a child and then her tragic death as a result of it.”

“We think we’re not that similar to these characters, but they were just people, same as us.” – Jesse Mockrin

Exhibition – oil on cotton

Pics taken by Resa – December 9, 2025

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

“Quotes in bold are by Jesse Mockrin”

“Quotes in italics are from the AGO”

All source is from the AGO