Study of yellow brocade drapery on grey background

Symbolists depict hair as endowed with spiritual power - as capable of receiving extra-sensory stimuli and controlling other people. The undulations of the drapery correspond morphologically to the intricate lines of the hair. The drapery also carries a symbolic meaning: it both evokes and enhances the elusiveness of women. It represents yet conceals the soul - and the body - of a woman and, discarded or tossed aside, it metaphorically represents her earthly journey, both glorious and terrible. The student works of painter and designer Anna Suchardová confirm that it is women who are particularly sensitive to these aspects of traditional feminine attributes: her portraits of girls captivate with their rich hairstyles, and frayed textiles unsettle with their ambiguity.

Subject: Others
Author: Boudová-Suchardová, Anna
Title: Study of yellow brocade drapery on grey background
Date: 1887–1889
Technique: watercolour on cardboard
Dimensions: 54,6 × 37,6 cm
Origin: Karásek Gallery Collection
Licence: Free license

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