Jeanne Amen (1861 - 1923) The Barn Owl

Oil on canvas
37.5 x 46 cm
Signed lower left: Amen
On an entablature, lies a barn owl with one of its wings outstretched. Its pale plumage stands out against the dark, neutral background of a rustic interior. No decorative element disturbs the force of this stunning image.
Better known for her floral subjects painted in the tradition of her master Antoine Grivolas, the artist shows here another aspect of her talent, cruder, more powerful and somehow not at all surprising from this committed woman. In addition to being a painter, Jeanne Amen was also a journalist.
In the 1890s, she contributed to the Journal des femmes artistes, the official bulletin of the Union des femmes peintres et sculpteurs, and took part in the Union's exhibitions from 1891 to 1898.