A Woman Possessed

1981

Not on view

A Woman Possessed is an early example of Fischl’s decades-long exploration of figurative, often psychologically charged, subject matter. Unusual for the artist, the work is also autobiographical. It depicts a scene from Fischl’s childhood when he discovered his mother collapsed outside of their home, a tragic result of her alcoholism. A pack of dogs prevents him from intervening, a seeming metaphor for the powerlessness of a young child in the face of such trauma. The work is rich with details including the station wagon, yellow bike, schoolbooks, and even the reflection of the blue sky in the car window, that all suggest an idealized suburban childhood. The collapsed figure of his mother physically cuts across and interrupts the composition, disrupting this otherwise idyllic realm.

Artwork Details

Title: A Woman Possessed
Artist: Eric Fischl (American, born New York, 1948)
Date: 1981
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 68 × 96 in. (172.7 × 243.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Per Skarstedt, 2024
Object Number: 2024.616
Rights and Reproduction: © Eric Fischl
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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