art
'A daring flash of pubic hair': the extraordinary, monumental nudes of Sylvia Sleigh
A new show of this Welsh-born artist’s mesmerising portraits is worth visiting for one nude alone: a painting of an eyes-closed, long-legged, elegant brunette, inspired by Sleeping Venus
TL;DR
- Sylvia Sleigh (1916-2010) was a Welsh-born artist known for her realist depictions of nudes, focusing on their inherent beauty and dignity.
- Her 1963 painting 'The Bridge,' inspired by Giorgione's 'Sleeping Venus,' is a monumental canvas featuring Johanna Lawrenson and is currently on display at Malarkey in London.
- Sleigh aimed to portray both sexes with dignity, countering the historical objectification of women in art, and considered herself a portraitist showing people at their best.
- The exhibition at Malarkey includes 'The Bridge' alongside seven other works, spanning from her early career to later pieces, including male nudes.
- Sleigh's technique involved meticulous layering of thin oil paints to achieve lifelike flesh tones, and she often worked on multiple paintings simultaneously.