Portrait of Mnonja

Object Details

Artist

Mickalene Thomas, born Camden, NJ 1971

Sitter

Mnonja

Gallery Label

Mickalene Thomas creates large-scale paintings of African American women to explore notions of sexuality and race through rituals associated with female beauty. Her models dress up and pose for photographs on a studio set; Thomas works from these photographs to produce finished works. Rhinestones and sequins recall folk art traditions as well as the jewelry and cosmetics that can enhance or mask a woman's identity. Mnonja exudes dignity and self-assurance as she reclines against a wood-paneled background redolent of a seventies-era family room.

Publication Label

Mickalene Thomas explores notions of beauty, sexuality, and black female identity in her work. She is inspired by a wide range of sources, from Hudson River School landscapes to Henri Matisse's nudes and Romare Bearden's collages. Thomas is one of many contemporary artists experimenting with nontraditional materials. For her, the rhinestones evoke folk art traditions and Haitian voodoo art. They also serve as a metaphor for female beauty products, which can both enhance and mask a woman's identity.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.

New Acquisition Label

Over the last ten years, Mickalene Thomas has become known for large-scale paintings of American women provocatively posed against boldly patterned backgrounds adorned with rhinestones. Her work explores notions of beauty, sexuality and black female identity. Thomas's use of rhinestones and vivid textile patterns adds an even greater sense of drama and sensuality to her paintings. She is one of many contemporary artists experimenting with non-traditional materials, particularly glitter and sequins. For Thomas, the rhinestones evoke folk art traditions and Haitian voodoo art. They also serve as a metaphor for female beauty products, which can both enhance and mask a woman's identity.

Thomas's work stems from her study of art history and the classical genres of portraiture, landscape, and still life, and is inspired by a wide range of sources, from Hudson River School landscapes to Henri Matisse’s nudes and Romare Bearden's collages. Although her paintings often reference the familiar compositional arrangements of odalisque paintings, Thomas imbues her subjects with an agency and action seldom seen in the canon of figurative painting. Portrait of Mnonja is a stunning example of Thomas's recent work. The reclining figure is posed in a sassy contrapposto and situated against a wood-paneled background redolent of a seventies-era living room. She wears a loose-fitting white blouse with a plunging neckline, and her hair is pulled back in a low bun. Her right hand rests on her knee, revealing nail polish that matches her audacious pink heels. She exudes dignity and self-assurance.

Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2011

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

Copyright

© 2010, Mickalene Thomas

2010

Object number

2011.16

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel on wood panel

Dimensions

96 x 120 in. (243.8 x 304.8 cm)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

On View

Smithsonian American Art Museum, 3rd Floor, East Wing

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Ethnic\African-American

Architecture Interior\domestic\living room

Portrait female

Record ID

saam_2011.16

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7aa843d9a-6578-4724-acc6-686a16cbb746