623: Sylvia von Harden: THAT Image

Nearly four years ago, I wrote a piece about Otto Dix's famous portrait of journalist Sylvia von Harden.  Now, I find that many of my visitors here seem to have picked on that particular post when visiting these erratic pages.  What is this fascination with this famous image I wonder; why has Dix's painting impressed so many?

As I reported in my original post, the image has been a popular inspiration for the parodists; for example here's the original with the Barbie version:

Daily Mail

 And inevitably there are some even more bizarre versions:

 Source

And:

Source

And finally (for now):

Source

And there are many, many more, which tells me that with this iconic portrait, Otto Dix created a truly classic image.  Sadly I have no talent in the artistic line, otherwise perhaps I would have a go!

Until the next time.

Sylvia von Harden and Otto Dix

Sorry, forgotten the source, but it's everywhere on the 'net!

This famous portrait of journalist Sylvia von Harden is amongst the best-known work of the German expressionist Otto Dix; there are many reproductions of the painting on numerous websites.

Von Harden herself related the background to the portrait following Dix spotting her in the street:

'I must paint you! I simply must! ... You are representative of an entire epoch!'
'So, you want to paint my lacklustre eyes, my ornate ears, my long nose, my thin lips; you want to paint my long hands, my short legs, my big feet—things which can only scare people off and delight no-one?'
'You have brilliantly characterized yourself, and all that will lead to a portrait representative of an epoch concerned not with the outward beauty of a woman but rather with her psychological condition.'

I have always loved the picture every since a former girlfriend introduced me to Dix's work at an exhibition at the Tate Gallery; to me it is utterly redolent of Weimar Berlin rather as Dix observed himself.

Here's a photograph of her:

Sylvia von Harden
Source

There are parodies too.

First this one. I do not know who painted it since despite the fact I have lived in France for five years, I cannot understand fully the long French text that accompanies the picture on this site. If someone could explain what it's all about, I'd be most grateful. If I were putting up a picture it would say underneath: Portrait of Madame Helga Dubuc by XXXXX!

Edit: I revisited the source of the picture above, and it seems to me from attempting to plough through the gross verbiage that accompanies the image, that the portrait was made but Mme Dubuc's husband. I might be wrong of course, but then there's nobody like the French for dramatising the dramatic!

Whilst the above portrait was obviously inspired by Dix's, the next one is a straightforward parody. I love the pout!

From "Forbidden Fruit" by Larry Fink
Source

Finally I really cannot say much about this one!

Source

Interesting to notice the positions of the hands.

Talking of hands, I'll finish with another favourite portrait: Edith Sitwell painted by Vorticist Wyndham Lewis. According to a biography of Sitwell I read, the sittings were cancelled after the painter developed a romantic interest in his subject and so the hands never appeared!

Until the next time.