A Room with a View - Untitled Film Still #15

12:00 AM


A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin

Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #15, 1978 
"Don't you agree that, on one's first visit to Florence, one must have a room with a view?" - Lucy Emerson As we approach the end of our journey, you may notice a slight change (spoil alert). Yes, Lucy's surname has changed to Emerson. Not only has her identity changed slightly, but her attitude has developed into one of easygoing grace. As she and George honeymoon in the pensione they first met, a young girl and her chaperon complain of the situation that Lucy herself once faced: a room without a true Florentine view. The newlyweds offer up their own room, complete with a vista of the Arno, bringing Lucy's experience to a full circle. Thus, this once stubborn teenager has now transformed into a generous young lady. Along the same lines lies Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Still #15, a self-portrait of "the tough girl with a heart of gold," according to the Guggenheim. Sherman creates an intimate moment of a model (herself) appreciating the scene outside while the audience relishes their own view. Her melodramatic photograph of feminine stereotypes serves as a critique of society, much like A Room with a View. With this underlying sentiment in mind, my collection comes to a close. If society ever gets you down, I would highly recommend contemplating life while admiring a view or getting lost in the wonderful world of art. Then again, you could just curl up with a fluffy blanket and watch A Room with a View on Netflix...

Share This Story

Tags: , , ,

You Might Also Like

0 comments