Femininity can be reflected in art, even when the artists were born a century apart. 

On April 5, the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) opened two exhibits, “Robin F. Williams: We’ve Been Expecting You” and “Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris,” which will both be on display until Aug. 18, according to the museum’s website. 

Nicole Rome, the museum’s director of collections and exhibitions, said the choice to display these exhibits simultaneously was a stroke of serendipity.

“It was a happy coincidence that they happened to be 100 years apart but it was very intentional to pair a contemporary exhibition with a more historical exhibition,” Rome said. “There is a focus at CMA right now to connect the historical and the contemporary together for our audiences.”

Sarah Berenz, the museum’s Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow and curator of “We’ve Been Expecting You,” said both exhibits echo each of the artists’ upbringings, portraying their unique sentiments regarding the female experience. 

“Contextually they are very different,” Berenz said. “Marie Laurencin lived in Europe so it has a very Euro-centric aspect and perspective versus Robin living and working in the United States and in the 21st century so inevitably there are differences between the two.” 

Robin F. WIlliams' cinematic lens displayed in "Siri Keeps the Faith," created in 2021 (pictured on the left), "Siri Defends Her Honor," created in 2019 (pictured in the middle) and "Siri Calls for Help," created in 2018 (pictured on the right), all on display at the Columbus Museum of Art from April 5 to Aug. 18. Photo Credits: Samantha Harden (left and right), Cora Hernandez (middle) 

Berenz said the featured pieces in “We’ve Been Expecting You” cover a 17-year period of Williams’ career. Her early work depicts dreamlike scenarios that challenge gendered expectations, while her more recent work references artificial intelligence and femininity through a cinematic lens, Berenz said. 

“She’s really paying attention to the modeling of the faces, the way the light hits, you buy into these figures as being real,” Berenz said. “Yet there’s this surreal element.”

Robin F. Williams' "Final Girl Exodus," created in 2021, on display at the Columbus Museum of art. Photo Credit: Samantha Harden

Rome said the decision to utilize Williams’ works stemmed from her proximity to the Columbus community.  

“We started by wanting to do a show with Robin F. Williams and this is her first show at an art museum,” Rome said. “She’s from Columbus, she grew up in Columbus and so it felt very fitting to have Columbus be the institution that gives her her first show.”

After establishing Williams as one of the featured artists, Berenz said the search began for a complimentary exhibit, leading to the addition of “Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris,” which was originally organized in Philadelphia by the Barnes Foundation. 

“It wasn’t a show that we conceived but it’s a beautiful and well-researched exhibition and it just felt like such a great compliment to Robin’s work in many ways,” Rome said. 

Marie Laurencin's "Les Deux Soeurs au Violoncelle" or "two sisters with a cello" on display as a part of the "Sapphic Paris" exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art from April 5 to Aug. 18. Photo Credit: Cora Hernandez

Cindy Kang, the Barnes Foundation curator and the curator of the "Sapphic Paris" exhibition, said Laurencin’s paintings, paper works and ballet costumes displayed in “Sapphic Paris” were inspired by her ambisexual romantic relationships, often including depictions of women bounded by curved lines and dusted with pastel pinks and blues. 

“You cannot understand her work without also understanding the sapphic lesbian subcultures,” Kang said. “Sapphic was the term that was used at the time in 1920s Paris.”

Marie Laurencin's "Madame Andre Groult (Nicole Poiret)," (pictured on the right) created in 1913, on display at the Columbus Museum of Art from April 2 to Aug. 18. Photo Credits: Cora Hernandez

Berenz said the portrayal of female artists and femininity within the art community is long overdue.

“In terms of women, I think it’s evident that we’re playing catch up historically showing work by female artists and so this is an opportunity to show two solo artists working a century apart,” Berenz said. “There are through lines certainly, there are a lot of similarities, and yet they’re two very distinctive shows in the ways in which they portray femininity and think about the female experience.”

The cyclical nature of fashion, Berenz said, is prevalent in Williams’ use of contemporary and ‘70s-inspired attire.

“The hat she uses a lot and the sunglasses she uses a lot,” Berenz said. “I think it’s this protective element, protecting oneself and how they want to be viewed.”

Robin F. Williams' "Spa Night," created in 2016 on display at the Columbus Museum of Art from April 5 to Aug. 18. Photo Credit: Samantha Harden

Kang said Laurencin’s ballet designs drew inspiration from clothing featured in her paintings.

“You can also see throughout the paintings are then the dresses that are made into the ballet costumes, and that is all very deliberate, that is part of the creation of her world,” Kang said. “I think it does also help with making her work commercially successful.”

A film, featuring ballet costumes designed by French artist Marie Laurencin, serves as a part of the "Sapphic Paris" exhibition -- on display from April 5 to Aug. 18 -- at the Columbus Museum of Art. Photo Credit: Samantha Harden

The two exhibits, located in the Lower Level Walter Wing of the museum, encapsulate 71 works of art, 33 from Williams and 38 from Laurencin. 

The exhibitions are free for museum members and are otherwise included in the cost of general admission. Tickets can be purchased on the Columbus Museum of Art’s website. 

SHOOT LEADS Samantha Harden, Paige McBane / MODELS Paige McBane, Katherine Gallaugher, Summer Neds / PHOTOGRAPHY Cora Hernandez, Samantha Harden / LOCATION The Columbus Museum of Art