Skip to Content
Closed today, next open tomorrow. Closed today, next open tomorrow.

Art Conscious

A work made of lithograph in black on cream wove paper.

Image actions

  • A work made of lithograph in black on cream wove paper.

Date:

1938

Artist:

Paula Rension Gerard
American, 1907–1991

About this artwork

While Gerard, a long-serving and beloved School of the Art Institute of Chicago professor, later gained notice for her abstract silverpoint drawings, in her early career she created amusing figurative prints, as seen here. This lithograph takes the perspective of a work of art addressing its audience: three women and an elderly figure of unclear gender gaze at the artwork with varying reactions. While the veiled woman peers with a condescending frown, the woman wearing glasses smiles pleasurably, and the woman wearing the cylindrical hat appears to struggle to see between the other two women. Ultimately, the emotional responses of the spectators betray their attempts to appear cultured and fashionable.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Paula Rension Gerard

Title

Art Conscious

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1938

Medium

Lithograph in black on cream wove paper

Dimensions

Image: 24.7 × 19.6 cm (9 3/4 × 7 3/4 in.); Sheet: 40.1 × 29 cm (15 13/16 × 11 7/16 in.)

Credit Line

Estate of Paula Gerard

Reference Number

1992.1519

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share