A Woman Possessed
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
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.