Renata Borgatti, Au Piano

Renata Borgatti, au Piano marked an important transition for Brooks. It is the earliest painting in which an identified female sitter displays an androgynous style that deliberately subverts gender norms and so inaugurates the artist's exploration of heroic lesbian identity. Borgatti was a professional pianist with whom Brooks began a brief affair while living on the island of Capri. Here Brooks returned to the theme she explored in Le Piano, but now presented woman as the producer rather than consumer of musical artistry.

The Art of Romaine Brooks, 2016