Creative Calligraphers strike a pose as famous portrait arrives in South Shields
Two of my weekly calligraphy groups are taking inspiration from a National Gallery treasure this term.
Pierre Mignard’s The Marquise de Seignelay (1691) is currently on display at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery as part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour.
It is the second masterpiece to be loaned to the venue as part of the campaign to share important artworks beyond their home in London’s Trafalgar Square.
The first was Monet’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil, which inspired my Creative Calligraphers earlier this year.
Portrait a show of power, wealth and beauty
The Marquise de Seignelay painting is over 300 years old, but there’s a very modern link – it’s essentially the 1691 version of a dating app profile photo!
Widowed at the age of 29, Catherine Therese de Goyon de Matignon-Thorigny commissioned the portrait in her search for a second husband.
It was designed to show off her power, beauty and wealth; the pigment used in the blue cloak alone was more expensive than gold at the time.
In 17th century France, it was fashionable for the aristocracy to be portrayed as characters from ancient Greek and Roman myths.
Catherine is presented as the sea goddess Thetis, while her eight-year-old son, Marie-Jean Baptiste, is depicted as Achilles, in child-sized armour.
Cupid (or Eros in Greek mythology) is shown to the right of the painting.
There are also various nods to where her wealth and power comes from, such as the ships on the horizon in the top left-hand corner of the painting and the shells from around the world at her feet.
Her late husband, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Colbert, was the head of the French Navy and his father before him was the French First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683.
Compiling a creative response to National Gallery masterpiece
In response to the painting, my Creative Calligraphers have been working on Akim Script and we’ll also be looking at Greek lettering.
We’re also looking at quotes from Greek Mythology and incorporating various elements of the painting, from the sea to the Lapis Lazuli blue, into our work.
The Marquise de Seignelay is displayed alongside a variety of portrait paintings from the North East Museums’ collections as part of the accompanying exhibition, Mignard: The Power of Posing.
It explores the power of portraiture and how artists use pose, clothing, expression and setting to communicate identity, status and personality.
Visitors are invited to look beyond the surface of a portrait and discover the stories hidden behind an artwork. Every gesture, glance and carefully chosen accessory offers clues about the sitter’s life, ambitions and the image they wish to portray.
The exhibition also features a Selfie Station, inviting visitors to explore a wardrobe of costumes and accessories and transform themselves into a living masterpiece.
The Marquise de Seignelay continues to inspire 300 years on
As well as my Creative Calligraphers, the exhibition had inspired young people from the New Writing North Young Writers’ Group, young women involved in the charity Bright Futures and various schools.
Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums, said: “We are delighted to welcome another masterpiece into South Shields Museum & Art Gallery as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour. This partnership gives people across the North East the opportunity to experience an internationally significant work of art on their doorstep.”
Councillor Elliott Curry, lead member for culture, leisure, tourism and voluntary sector at South Tyneside Council, said: “We’re proud that South Shields Museum & Art Gallery continues to bring world-class art to South Tyneside.
“Having a National Gallery masterpiece on display gives local people and visitors a unique opportunity to experience an extraordinary piece of art without travelling to London.
“This exhibition is another great example of how culture can inspire, educate and enrich our communities, and I would encourage people of all ages to come along and see it for themselves.”
Mignard: The Power of Posing runs at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, in Ocean Road, South Shields, until Saturday, November 7.