Principia and her pet
2021
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
220.3 × 160.1 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation with the assistance of NGV Supporters of Contemporary Art, 2022
© Paulina Ołowska
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Paulina Ołowska’s Principia and her pet, from her series Haus Proud, is informed by Ołowska’s research into women-run exhibition spaces and schools. Borrowing imagery from the artist’s collection of vintage fashion advertisements and photographs, the series continues the artist’s ongoing exploration into the representation of women archetypes in art history. Ołowska depicts the titular character, a glamorous school principal, holding her pet dragon on a leash and surrounded by other representations of dragons, including a European fresco and an East Asian ivory carving. Presenting the mythological alongside the contemporary, the work also includes the subtle pop culture reference of a vegan Kit Kat.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Poland
Inscription
inscribed in black paint on reverse l.r.: Paulina Olowska / “Principia and / her pet” / 2021
Accession Number
2022.152
Department
Contemporary Art