Jordan Arnold

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Matthew Nichols

Second Advisor

Morgan Falconer

Abstract

This paper examines the rapid ascent and artistic evolution of Anna Weyant, whose blend of technical rigor, stylized figuration, and sly narrative tension has positioned her as a leading name in contemporary figurative painting. While her market visibility and high-profile representation have often overshadowed critical engagement with her work, a close analysis reveals a steadily developing practice grounded in a set of consistent formal concerns: controlled light and shadow, psychologically charged compositions, and a sustained dialogue with art-historical precedents. By situating Weyant’s paintings in relation to the psychological realism of the Dutch Golden Age, the uncanny and erotic undercurrents of Magritte and Balthus, and the exaggerated figuration of John Currin and Lisa Yuskavage, this study argues that Weyant navigates, and at times subverts, canonical conventions. Ultimately, the paper contends that her characteristic combination of naturalistic modeling and whimsical wit constitutes a deliberate strategy through which she asserts authorship, negotiates femininity, and expands the expressive possibilities of representational painting today.

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