Sita and Sarita by Cecilia Beaux (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Sita and Sarita by Cecilia Beaux
Sita and Sarita
Source: National Gallery of Art
Sita and Sarita is perhaps one of the most interesting portraits in the history of American art. The painting depicts Cecilia Beaux’s (the artist) cousin, Sarah Allibone Leavitt (the Sarita in the title) with a black cat on her shoulder. However, Modern day viewers have likened it to a witch with her familiar or have suggested that the painting has sexual undertones. Some have even compared it to Édouard Manet’s famous painting of a courtesan, Olympia, arguing that Beaux used Sita and Sarita to reclaim her gender from the facile portraits of women executed by men.

Odd as it may sound, the controversy actually seems to be a credit to Beaux’s work, an unintentional homage to her vibrant and expressive portraiture style. Beaux—who is famous for her portraits of America’s wealthiest and most elite families—is known for her subtle and nuanced depictions of women. Her work has been favorably compared to that of contemporary artists Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent; although Beaux’s work tends to be lighter and brighter as well as more realistic, though it is remarkable for its relentless unsentimentally.

Rather, Beaux’s Sita and Sarita is an introspective and thoughtful portrait of an intelligent young woman. Sarah’s eyes are directed at something outside of frame, creating a sense of self containment. The viewer is seeing Sarah ensconced in her own private world. The contrast of the sitter’s white dress and the cat’s black fur gives the painting an extra degree of visual interest and heightens the decided air of independence that the subject displays. As a cat lover myself, I must say that the kitten is my favorite part of the painting and really adds to the charm of the piece.

Beaux had a deep affinity for Sita and Sarita, even creating a copy of the portrait before donating the original to the Musée de Luxembourg in France.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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