COVE

Display Explanations 

I chose to place my painting on three separate walls, each individually framed and perfectly aligned in the middle, inside a gold vintage frame against white walls. Each painting will be displayed in a room, with the entrance leading to a cutout on the fourth wall, placing the entrance perfectly in the middle. To enhance the experience, I would add dim lighting in the room, with three lightbulb lamps hanging from the ceiling to shine bright light on each painting. My goal is for the audience to do a full 360 turn in the center of the room to experience different perspectives on women. As they take their first steps into the room, their attention will be drawn to the right, where the first painting, Chloe (Lefebvre, Jules J., 1875), will be displayed in a frame measuring 260 cm × 139 cm. This artwork was given to me during this assignment to reflect what the majority of the population believes women’s sexuality to be, as it portrays a naked woman. The subject’s pose consisted of one hand against a rock, one leg lifted, and her pelvis pushed forward portraying her confidence. But there is also a sensation of mystery, as we do not see a full view of her face. The painting will include a description “Chloe was a 19-year-old Parisian model with a charming face, the roundness, freshness, and bloom of youth, along with a look of innocence and simplicity. She was believed to have committed suicide after being forced to marry, as she was considered to belong to a certain social class.” I want my audience to develop a deeper understanding of the artwork and experience Chloe’s story through the emotions conveyed in her pose.

As you rotate your body to the left, you’ll be led to the middle wall, where the painting Flaming June (Leighton, Frederic, 1895) is displayed in a golden vintage frame measuring 119.1 × 119.1 cm. The spotlight reflects off the painting, making her vibrant golden sunset dress pop. It draws your attention to her peaceful pose, as though she is napping of her own free will. I chose this artwork because it expresses a different take on sexuality. The woman, wearing a see-through dress, reveals her body more innocently compared to the first painting. The background also caught my attention, as it seemed to feature some sort of flower, giving the painting a bright look. However, it holds a deeper meaning. The flower behind her is beautiful yet toxic, appearing in various poems from that time and symbolizing death. This mystery is one of the elements that make the painting so fascinating even today. The description along the artwork I would place would read, “We sense a moment of beauty, sensuality, tranquility, and vulnerability. The sun shimmering on the water, peeking over the wall, offers a moment for uncomplicated contemplation of a beautiful body. Despite this, the woman’s cheek and ear are flushed. She is unaware she is being watched, inviting the viewer’s gaze.” Comparing both paintings so far, you can sense a different type of vulnerability in each woman. Neither woman’s face is fully visible, leaving an air of mystery about them. The backgrounds are also quite different, as the first one has darker tones, while this one uses a warmer, more colorful palette. Both paintings are oil on canvas, giving them similar textures and suggesting a connection between the two women despite their differences.

As you make your way to the final artwork and turn to your left, you’ll encounter the third wall displaying Vestalin (Arnold Böcklin, 1874), in a golden vintage frame measuring 78 cm x 61.5 cm. The white gown wrapped around the women shining under the spotlight, creating a sensation of purity and innocence, aware of a nun’s devotion to God. This portrayal of a virgin highlights women’s sexuality in a new light compared to the others. Similar to the flowers in Flaming June, it brings a brighter view but contrasts the dark element throughout this painting. There is no revealing clothing or exposure of skin, only an image of innocence. Yet, the dark elements in the background such as burning candles, add a haunting presence similar to Chloé. The dark tones draw attention to the woman, emphasizing how society often fixates on women’s bodies regardless of their expressions of sexuality. Whether fully naked or dressed in white, women are objectified. What sets Vestalin apart is the coldness in the woman’s eyes and her distant expression, which represents the limited freedom many women struggle with, unable to speak openly about their sexuality. The painting leaves much to interpretation, inviting viewers to question the tension between personal sacrifice and societal duty. Would contain no description of the painting highlighting the complexities of identity, freedom, and expectations placed on women.

Installation Note

When taking a look across all three art pieces I provided, you will notice each woman is displayed differently. My reasoning behind this is to show the different depictions women are subjected to, each displaying a different sense of emotion once taking a deeper look. 

First, taking a look into the art piece by Lefebvre, Jules. 1875. J. Chloé, a woman, is striking a pose as she is naked with her face turned. With her face turned away, it gives a representation of femininity and objectification, drawing the full focus entirely on her nude body, which is a beauty aspect of a woman’s physical form. It can cater to many men’s fantasies, displaying objectification with a female body as it can be viewed as sexual pleasure. When a viewer takes a deeper look, they might wonder why she is posing behind what looks like a body of water while her silk dress is sitting upon a rock. This can display a sense of sexual freedom as women gain more freedom going into the late 1800s - early 1900s. Reading her emotions within this pose reflects feelings of feeling unashamed, confident, and self-aware of the power this pose holds.

Secondly, take a look at the art piece by Frederic Leighton, 1895. In Flaming June, a woman is peacefully resting in a beautiful, bright, see-through orange dress. Viewing her resting is a quick, dreamlike experience, as she doesn’t seem to be in a deep sleep or awake, giving a sensation of fantasy. Looking at this art piece, it doesn’t seem she is very sexualized but rather emphasizes the ideal beauty standards through the colorful palette and form. The orange-red gown she is dressed in can symbolize warmth and desire. As cooler tones are used throughout the background in contrast to the warm tone within her clothing, it draws the attention of the viewers to her body figure. Giving a physical and emotional sensation of sexual energy without being aggressive.

Lastly, taking a look into the art piece by Arnold Bocklin. 1874. Vestalin, a woman dressed as a nun similar to the Virgin Mary, represents purity with an underlying fact of complexity. This art piece shows sexual restraints as it symbolizes purity to religious duties. The idea of chastity is forbidden, which is forced to be suppressed and possibly make emotions awaken by limitations. Her expression causes the audience to raise questions about personal emotions and desires she may have. This represents a sense of self-control within sexuality as a choice she chose to take a vow to deny any sexual urge. Possibly removing her own identity, not being able to express herself sexually. Within her pose presented, it gives a sense of confusion. Her white gown also represents innocence, stating a powerful statement of feminine sexuality.

The audience can start off by admiring a naked woman showing confidence in her own skin as they take a look at the artwork by Lefebvre, Jules. 1875. J. Chloé. Soon drawing their attention to Frederic Leighton, 1895. Flaming June as they sense a beautiful warmth of radiations coming from the artwork. Admiring her peaceful pose within her beautiful red-orange silk dress with a peaceful background. Lastly, doing one more turn to the art piece by Arnold Bocklin. 1874. Vestalin, getting a feeling of a trapped soul. Noticing the white nun outfit gives a sense of purity but also displays a sense of forced control. Walking around can give the audience different aspects of how women are subject to beauty and being sexualized. No matter the pose of a woman or the outfit, a woman's sexuality can always be depicted from an art piece that forces many women into different standards.

Lefebvre, Jules J.Chloé.1875. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comrns/5/50/Chloé%2C_par_Jules_Joseph_Lefebvre.jpp Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

Chosen from COVE:

Leighton, Frederic. Flaming June. 1895. Museo de Arte de Ponce. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Leighton#/media/File:Flaming_June,_by_Frederic_Lord_Leighton_(1830-1896).jpg. Accessed Jan 13, 2022.

Image chosen by myself:

Arnold Bocklin. Vestalin. 1874.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arnold_B%C3%B6cklin_-_Vestalin_(1874).jpg                                                            Accessed Dec 19, 2019