Renata Borgatti, Au Piano

Romaine Brooks, Renata Borgatti, Au Piano, 1920, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1968.18.13
Copied Romaine Brooks, Renata Borgatti, Au Piano, 1920, oil on canvas, 55 7⁄8 x 74 1⁄4 in. (141.8 x 188.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1968.18.13

Artwork Details

Title
Renata Borgatti, Au Piano
Artist
Date
1920
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
55 7⁄8 x 74 1⁄4 in. (141.8 x 188.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Performing arts — music — piano
  • Portrait female — Borgatti, Renata
Object Number
1968.18.13
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.18.13

Artwork Description

Renata Borgatti, au Piano marked an important transition for Brooks. It is the earliest painting in which an identified female sitter displays an androgynous style that deliberately subverts gender norms and so inaugurates the artist's exploration of heroic lesbian identity. Borgatti was a professional pianist with whom Brooks began a brief affair while living on the island of Capri. Here Brooks returned to the theme she explored in Le Piano, but now presented woman as the producer rather than consumer of musical artistry.

The Art of Romaine Brooks, 2016