art history paper
Art History Museum Paper This past weekend, I decided to re-visit the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and picked out the Reclining Nude by Jean-Antoine Watteau which dated 1713-1717 and its medium was oil on panel.
Usually, the works of art that are showcased in a museum are hung along the sides of the walls for the viewers to have easy access to seeing them. The work of art I chose was placed in a very small insert along the wall that wasn’t even big enough to fit 5 people in. I would say that only 3 people at the same time can view the paintings in this crevice. This piece also wasn’t hung and it was set on a standing column, sort of like a platform. Also, the painting was one of the smallest in the whole museum that I looked at. The size of the painting looked like it could fit inside a photo album. The framing used made it seem like a regular framed picture that you would see on someone’s desk in their bedroom. The light shone on it also gave it some intimacy and erotic attention.
I experienced the work of art in an informal way because it was a nude woman and she’s on the bed with a sort of comfortable expression and gesture. Also, it felt as if this painting was meant to be seen in private by someone it was painted for. The fact that it was secluded, not hung like other bigger pieces, and how it was in the room with other artworks among the Rococo style, there was no stress felt, and I sort of almost felt fluffy and relaxed as if this painting was in my own home too. I also had a feeling like I could grab this piece off the platform as if it was me picking up a photo frame at my mom’s house to look at. I think it was originally seen as a private painting like how it’s in a private placement in the museum and since the Rococo period was about love, being happy and carefree, then that’s what the painting was meant to do. The gold framing wasn’t necessarily unique in the museum because most of the 14th-16th century pieces had some gold detailed framing.
Usually, the works of art that are showcased in a museum are hung along the sides of the walls for the viewers to have easy access to seeing them. The work of art I chose was placed in a very small insert along the wall that wasn’t even big enough to fit 5 people in. I would say that only 3 people at the same time can view the paintings in this crevice. This piece also wasn’t hung and it was set on a standing column, sort of like a platform. Also, the painting was one of the smallest in the whole museum that I looked at. The size of the painting looked like it could fit inside a photo album. The framing used made it seem like a regular framed picture that you would see on someone’s desk in their bedroom. The light shone on it also gave it some intimacy and erotic attention.
I experienced the work of art in an informal way because it was a nude woman and she’s on the bed with a sort of comfortable expression and gesture. Also, it felt as if this painting was meant to be seen in private by someone it was painted for. The fact that it was secluded, not hung like other bigger pieces, and how it was in the room with other artworks among the Rococo style, there was no stress felt, and I sort of almost felt fluffy and relaxed as if this painting was in my own home too. I also had a feeling like I could grab this piece off the platform as if it was me picking up a photo frame at my mom’s house to look at. I think it was originally seen as a private painting like how it’s in a private placement in the museum and since the Rococo period was about love, being happy and carefree, then that’s what the painting was meant to do. The gold framing wasn’t necessarily unique in the museum because most of the 14th-16th century pieces had some gold detailed framing.