A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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| Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #15, 1978 |
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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| Claude Monet, Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867 |
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
"My father says there is only one perfect view, and that's the view of the sky over our heads." - George Emerson
Much of A Room with a View takes place outside, whether the characters are exploring the sights of Florence, bathing al fresco in the English countryside, or playing an intense game of badminton. The Emersons' love of nature contrasts the societal expectation for women to stay indoors, which further emphasizes their free-spirited approach to Edwardian standards.
Interestingly enough, Edouard Manet, a key leader of the Impressionist movement, did not share this same affection for the outdoors...at first. Natural light drives Impressionism, infiltrating every piece and dictating each artist's style. Berthe Morisot embraced this idea by practicing plein air painting, or painting "in the open air." She eventually convinced her colleague and friend, Manet, to take up the technique and enter the outdoors. However, it appears that Manet prefers the comfort of the indoors in Morisot's Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight. At least he can discreetly stalk the lovely ladies passing by, which might be the view he prefers.
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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| Berthe Morisot, Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight, 1875 |
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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| Caspar David Friedrich, Woman at a Window, 1822 |
"Women like looking at a view. Men don't." - Mr. Emerson Wise words from Mr. Emerson, the film's wacky yet astute patriarch. He utters them at the very beginning, while Charlotte Bartlett, Lucy Honeychurch's cousin and chaperon, complains about their room's lack of a view. For the reason stated above, Mr. Emerson offers up his and his son George's suite, thereby solving the horrendous problem and triggering a romance between Lucy and George. In the time of both Caspar David Friedrich's paintings and the Edwardian era of A Room with a View, this kind gesture would have held special significance. As evidenced by Friedrich's other works, men spent much more time out of doors than their female counterparts. While they experienced nature firsthand, women were often confined to the comfort of their domiciles, meaning much of their interaction with the outdoors was through glass panes. Windows in paintings such as Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window or Woman at a Window offer unique perspective from women viewing the outside world through comparatively tiny peepholes, much like Lucy Honeychurch's attempt to step out of her sheltered lifestyle.
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
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| Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, Johannes Vermeer, 1657-1658 |
A Room with a View
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
To preface: I did not intend for the title of my collection to relate directly to the 1986 film. However, after re-watching A Room with a View, I thought it might provide a nice story to weave into the paintings. Please join me for a journey through the Academy-Award winning masterpiece and accompanying artwork.
"Smell! A true Florentine smell. Inhale, my dear. Deeper! Every city, let me tell you, has its own smell." - Eleanor Lavish
Not only does each city have its own scent, its own character, but it has its own unique history. Though David's historical paintings formed his reputation, he occasionally ventured outside of his typical style, one prime example of this being View of the Jardin du Luxembourg. The main aspect that sets this work apart from the rest is the bird's-eye view that David employs. Maybe he imagined himself as a pigeon soaring over the park's winding paths, or perhaps he envisioned the viewer as a nobleman overlooking the visitors from the palace's balconies.
So what exactly does this work have to do with A Room with a View? Well, after some careful research, I discovered that the settings share much in common. The backdrop for the film, beautiful Florence, actually inspired the park's design. King Henri IV's widow, Marie de Medicis, created the park in the 17th century as an homage to her childhood home. This little slice of Florence may have cured the queen's homesickness, but I'm sure Ms. Lavish would attest that nothing holds a candle to the authenticity of Firenze, Italia.
Examining the Film through an Art Historian's Lens
Curated by Melissa Martin
To preface: I did not intend for the title of my collection to relate directly to the 1986 film. However, after re-watching A Room with a View, I thought it might provide a nice story to weave into the paintings. Please join me for a journey through the Academy-Award winning masterpiece and accompanying artwork.
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| Jacques-Louis David, View of the Jardin du Luxembourg, 1794 |
"Smell! A true Florentine smell. Inhale, my dear. Deeper! Every city, let me tell you, has its own smell." - Eleanor Lavish
Not only does each city have its own scent, its own character, but it has its own unique history. Though David's historical paintings formed his reputation, he occasionally ventured outside of his typical style, one prime example of this being View of the Jardin du Luxembourg. The main aspect that sets this work apart from the rest is the bird's-eye view that David employs. Maybe he imagined himself as a pigeon soaring over the park's winding paths, or perhaps he envisioned the viewer as a nobleman overlooking the visitors from the palace's balconies.
So what exactly does this work have to do with A Room with a View? Well, after some careful research, I discovered that the settings share much in common. The backdrop for the film, beautiful Florence, actually inspired the park's design. King Henri IV's widow, Marie de Medicis, created the park in the 17th century as an homage to her childhood home. This little slice of Florence may have cured the queen's homesickness, but I'm sure Ms. Lavish would attest that nothing holds a candle to the authenticity of Firenze, Italia.
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| Edward Hopper, Gas, 1940 |
It
is this sentiment that Edward Hopper conveys in his iconic masterpiece, Gas. This composition from 1940 offers a
glimpse into the Route 66 culture, which emerged around the same time that
Hopper’s career gained traction in the art world. Everyday American life
inspired the quiet artist immensely, as evidenced by his seemingly endless
depictions of New England architecture and mundane city life. Considering his
track record, Hopper’s choice to paint America’s burgeoning highway system
seems odd at first, but then the work speaks for itself.
Among
the happy-go-lucky families on vacation and the rushed business travelers hide sufferers
of inherent loneliness: those who traverse the nation looking for answers, Jack
Kerouac-style, or those who get lost in the shuffle. Hopper decidedly focuses
on the latter. He identifies with the sole attendant who tends the three
Mobilgas pumps. Empty pavement stretches out behind him, while a forest of
ominous pines traps him in his little corner of the world. The attendant, much
like Hopper, must remain a lonely witness to the never-ending stream of passersby,
unsympathetic to the victims of wanderlust.
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| Antonio de la Gandara, Madame Pierre Gautreau, 1879 |
They were featuring Alfred Hutty in their "Artist Spotlight" collection, paying tribute to the local artist through his various watercolors, sketches, and oil paintings. Another part of the museum focused on local modern artists, such as Jasper Johns. We walked some more and stumbled upon more classic paintings, especially portraiture. I yawned and pressed onward. Then, my mother beckoned me. "Isn't this Amelie Gautreau?" she asked me excitedly. I commended her for her temporary art history buff status and attempted to plop myself down in front of Gautreau's stunning figure.
But alas, sit and stare I could not. There were no benches to be had. In fact, I had missed the painting in the first place because of its awful corner location. This larger-than-life portrait with its impressive contrast and notable subject wasn't even the focal point of the exhibit. Antonio de la Gandara had painted it in 1897, years after the Madame X ordeal. He made great effort to flatter the then 38-year-old social butterfly by placing emphasis on her distinct facial features and graceful being, rather than her aging body. For this reason, Antonio de la Gandara's Madame Pierre Gautreau became Amelie's favorite that she hung in her room. Ironically enough, this socialite who had once been the center of the Parisian universe has been reduced to a corner of a small museum in South Carolina. Madame X must be rolling in her grave about that horrific faux pas.
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| Edouard Vuillard, Garden at Vaucresson, 1920 |
Take, for example,
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 novel The
Beautiful and Damned. Cast in the light of the sparkling Jazz Age, Anthony
Patch and his wife Gloria float through New York atop champagne bubbles,
committed to no vocations other than waiting around for inheritance and
improved societal standing. Gloria eschews traditional roles in favor of
cherishing her days as a flirtatious flapper, even after her nuptials.
Fitzgerald best sums up Gloria's perspective in the following passage:
"The reality,
the earthiness, the intolerable sentiment of child-bearing, the menace to her
beauty--had appalled her. She wanted to exist only as a conscious flower,
prolonging and preserving itself. Her sentimentality could cling fiercely to her
own illusions, but her ironic soul whispered that motherhood was also the
privilege of the female baboon."
This preservation
of beauty that occupied the minds of Jazz Age women not only appeared in
Fitzgerald's characters, but also in pieces by artists such as Vuillard. As females
sought independence within society, they championed new ideals of youth and physical appearance. The subject of The Garden at Vaucresson chooses the path that leads
to elegant aging and a charmed life, rather than the route of the laborer.
Perhaps this era of luxury and sophistication appear most evident in such refined
works as The Garden at Vaucresson and The Beautiful and Damned, embodiments of
Fitzgerald’s 1920s.
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| Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, La Goulue Arriving at the Moulin Rouge, 1892 |
Louise Weber would not have achieved such celebrity without some help from her artistic friends, especially Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. He adopted La Goulue ("the glutton") as his muse, immortalizing her image in paintings that lined gallery walls and posters that littered the streets of Paris, advertising her as the forward dancer with free-flowing skirts. Lautrec glorifies the movement that La Goulue embodies in her dance. This mastery of subject is the product of years spent together, considering he followed the starlet from her debut to the end of her fame. Even when La Goulue isn't dancing in his depictions, Lautrec manages to evoke a sense of lively movement and a certain unrestrained spirit.
Lautrec combines the sense of grand entrance with a spirited personality in La Goulue Arriving at the Moulin Rouge. The lady occupies most of the portrait's space, framed by her gentleman dance partner to the left and her sister to the right. The viewer can admire both her wily red hair and unmissable decolletage from beyond the painting. However, if the viewer dares to stare too long, s/he may encounter the gaze of the subject. Her eyes appear tired, but once combined with the pursed lips, an appearance of a smirk begins to emerge on her famed countenance. In regards to movement, Lautrec achieves a sense of chaos ready for release by painting furiously brushstrokes across the fabric of her dress, criss-crossing every which way. Obviously, La Goulue cannot be contained. Let the entertainment begin.
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| Edgar Degas, At the Races in the Countryside, 1869 |
Degas inspired Cassatt, who continued to venerate his work
throughout her own artistic career. This becomes evident in Driving (1881), a
painting that draws heavily upon Degas’ At the Races in the Countryside (1869).
Cassatt’s interpretation focuses on the family within the carriage, carrying
her maternal motif, while Degas incorporates more of the surroundings.
The key difference between the two pieces is color. Cassatt
creates a dark background, keeping her figures light and rosy, while Degas
paints a light and airy background contrasted by the dark horse and carriage.
Degas’s light blue and pea green are superior to Cassatt’s dark tones. Additionally, Degas expands the painting and including more than just the main subjects, creating a more interesting composition. Unfortunately for Cassatt, the grasshopper
has not surpassed the master.
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| J.M.W. Turner, Rain, Steam & Speed, 1844 |
Art and invention battled it out in the industrial revolution, fighting for their opposing positions in modern society. But what if someone could reconcile these two seemingly contradictory concepts?
Enter J. M. W. Turner, landscape painter extraordinaire. Those familiar with Mr. Turner might imagine breathtaking watercolors of natural wonders upon hearing the artist’s name. Indeed, most of Turner’s renowned works feature stunning seas and golden waters, highlighting nature’s prowess. Despite his fascination with nature, Turner did not eschew the inventions of the industrial revolution. One in particular caught his eye: the steam engine.
Seven years after retiring from his professorship, Turner toured Switzerland for the last time. In 1844, he was 69 years old, seven years away from his death. The railway business remained at its peak during Turner’s latter years. This boded well for the wandering artist, an elderly man who relished the comfort and speed trains offered. Turner enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle, despite the rapidity of the machine. Rain, Steam and Speed is just that—a marriage between relaxed landscape and impressive innovation. To look at the painting is to share an experience with Turner. Stick your head out of the window and savor the wind of speed.
Enter J. M. W. Turner, landscape painter extraordinaire. Those familiar with Mr. Turner might imagine breathtaking watercolors of natural wonders upon hearing the artist’s name. Indeed, most of Turner’s renowned works feature stunning seas and golden waters, highlighting nature’s prowess. Despite his fascination with nature, Turner did not eschew the inventions of the industrial revolution. One in particular caught his eye: the steam engine.
Seven years after retiring from his professorship, Turner toured Switzerland for the last time. In 1844, he was 69 years old, seven years away from his death. The railway business remained at its peak during Turner’s latter years. This boded well for the wandering artist, an elderly man who relished the comfort and speed trains offered. Turner enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle, despite the rapidity of the machine. Rain, Steam and Speed is just that—a marriage between relaxed landscape and impressive innovation. To look at the painting is to share an experience with Turner. Stick your head out of the window and savor the wind of speed.