just the two of us

1982
(American, b. 1956)
Unframed: 187.9 x 198 cm (74 x 77 15/16 in.)
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location: not on view

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Both figures in this painting are based on greeting card images.

Description

Emerging in the 1980s, Julia Wachtel became known for her paintings employing cartoon characters appropriated from sources as every day and relatable as greeting cards and magazines, deliberately commenting on our quickly evolving visual culture. One of Wachtel’s earliest paintings, Just the Two of Us shows two young women, one in an elaborate gown reading a letter and the other a school girl standing in front of the moon; both figures are based on images from greeting cards. That both of the female subjects are shown as desirable or sexualized is not a coincidence, speaking to the ways that representations of women have been formed by the appetites of men.
just the two of us

just the two of us

1982

Julia Wachtel

(American, b. 1956)
America, 21st century

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.