There is some subjectivity to the fact that perspective is not gender specific, but even then there are some stereotypes that crepe in when you don’t ever take into consideration the viewpoint of the gender you are referring to constantly, through your limited knowledge. We were only acquainted with the perspective (which we believed to be the only frame of reference) of the male artists. And even when they did, their work was never celebrated and hence the majority never knew about it. If we talk specifically about the 18 th century French culture, we see that women were never encouraged to sketch or make the portrait of a male figure.
Various art forms like films, paintings etc have aided in making that perception. Male gaze could be said to be the perception that the majority have embodied. Even though set in 18 th century, this film is not only coeval but also relevant.
There are films that revolve around a contemporary subject, but are not contemporary in the idea they profess. The paintings used in the film have been made by a contemporary French painter, Helene Delmaire. It is a cynical manipulation of how we view the history. It’s not about contemplating the discrimination that existed during those times, but a criticism of the pseudo equality of the contemporary times. Those observations account for the female gaze in the portrait she makes later.Ĭeline Sciamma talks about the 18 th century France and how we don’t get to know about the female artists of that period, when evidently there were many. Marianne accompanies her in the long walks to get a chance to observe her. Heloise feels that it is unfair that she can neither see his portrait nor meet him before deciding to spend her whole life with him, thereby refuses from posing. The portrait is to be used for gaining approval of a Nobleman hailing from Milan, for a proposal of marriage. When Marianne arrives to the island, she is told to not reveal it to Heloise that she has come to make a portrait of her. The statement validates the presence of a female voice. But Heloise shatters all the presumptions by saying that what if it was Eurydice who asked Orpheus to turn around. Sophie thinks that Orpheus is nothing but a dunce to do so and Marianne speculates that did he make a poet’s choice rather than a lover’s by accepting to live with her memory. But Orpheus did look behind only to lose her again. The Gods of underworld told him that he could take his wife only on one condition that he does not looks behind to see if she is following him. In Greek mythology Orpheus descended to the underworld to bring back his dead wife Eurydice.
The third is Sophie, who works a maid who doesn’t divulge much into the personifications and imageries. Marianne, the painter, who has been called to achieve the arduous feat of make a portrait of Heloise, without her knowing, has a poetic approach of looking at things. She has a candid personality that sometimes could be mistaken for austerity. One of them is Heloise, who is a reluctant bride to be. The Greek mythology of Orpheus becomes the topic of discussion for the three curious ladies sitting at the dining table in a forlorn castle situated on an island in Brittany.