Femme au miroir  II (Mujer ante el espejo) 

Gender and the body

Gender stereotypes: Genius / muse

Gender stereotypes: Subject / object

The cast iron and solder outlines of Femme au miroir II (Woman in the Mirror) show the nude body of a woman in a moment of intimacy, as she combs her hair in the mirror. As was the case with brothels, entrance to the washroom was forbidden for women during the modern era. In these places, the female nude was the center of attention, but it was male sexuality that was in reality being represented through the woman’s body. These representations should be framed within the context of a patriarchal modern age, in which spaces and spheres were defined by gender. It was therefore difficult for women to be considered modern artists if they were prevented from entering the spaces and accessing the archetypes defined by modernity.