From the cloud of romanticism and mystic figures in art history, the idea of the “muse” emerged and manifested itself in many ways in different modes of art. From the groupies of the 70s who inspired classic rock-and-roll songs, all the way back to the ancient characters of Greek mythology who demonstrate contemporary life lessons, it is often women who are relegated to the role of “muse,” a label that feminists have begun to deconstruct and ratify. I want to explore how one film, in particular, does just this and its incredible consequences. What first introduced me to the concept of the muse was the 2019 film Portrait of a Lady on Fire . A love story between two women in 18th century France, a painter named Marianne, and her “client” Héloïse. In the film, Marianne is asked by Héloïse’s mother to paint her daughter in secret, so her portrait can be sent to a potential husband, a decision Héloïse does not support. Through this conflict, writ...
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