Lady of the Peacocks (La Dame aux Paons), René Francillon | Mia

standing nude female figure surrounded by peacocks; wall of green trees and shrubbery across top of image — Lady of the Peacocks (La Dame aux Paons), 20th century
René Francillon
Color woodcut
Gift of Marla J. Kinney 2019.57.16
Not on View
This mysterious print shows elements of Symbolism, a movement that arrived in Switzerland around 1890. Symbolist imagery could flow from an artist’s inner moods or dreams, or—as might be the case here—texts. Such imagery could also contain a dose of eroticism. According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the Roman god Mercury killed the watchman Argus, who had a hundred eyes. The goddess Juno then honored Argus by putting his eyes on the peacock’s tail. Perhaps the figure, outlined in pale blue and highlighted in white, feels the gaze of those hundred eyes.

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Details

Title: Lady of the Peacocks (La Dame aux Paons)
Dated: 20th century
Artist: René Francillon
Nationality: Swiss
Artist Life: 1876 - 1973
Role: Artist
Gallery: Not on View
Department: European Art
Dimension: 8 × 7 1/2 in. (20.32 × 19.05 cm) (image)12 × 9 7/8 in. (30.48 × 25.08 cm) (sheet)
Credit: Gift of Marla J. Kinney
Accession Number: 2019.57.16
Medium: Color woodcut
Country: Switzerland
Century: 20th century
Provenance: (Elizabeth Harvey-Lee, Oxfordshire, England, 2007-17; sold to Kinney); Marla J. Kinney, Minneapolis (2017-19)
Rights: © René Francillon
In Copyright
Classification: Prints
Object Name: Print
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Curator Approved: This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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© René Francillon

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