COVE

Display explanation:

For this museum installation, I want visitors to experience how women’s beauty, desire, and sexuality have been framed in art—sometimes as powerful, sometimes as tragic, sometimes as something completely out of reach. The way these paintings are displayed should guide visitors through that emotional journey, encouraging them to think about how femininity has been viewed across time.

When people first walk into the space, they’ll be met with Lamia by John William Waterhouse. It will be displayed on an elegant wooden easel in a slightly dim corner, surrounded by soft, natural elements like greenery and flowing fabric that echo the textures in the painting. The lighting here will be warm but a little shadowed, creating an intimate, almost secretive feel. Lamia is a woman in transition—part human, part something else—so the goal is to make viewers feel like they’ve stumbled upon a private moment of transformation and self-reflection.

From there, visitors will be drawn toward The Blessed Damozel by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which will be suspended slightly above eye level in the center of the room. A sheer, translucent veil will hang in front of it, reinforcing the sense that the Damozel is there but unreachable—separated from the world she longs for. The lighting will be soft and golden, creating a dreamy, almost otherworldly effect. The placement forces visitors to move around the piece, just as the Damozel exists in a limbo where she can see but never touch.

Finally, The Planet Venus by Luis Ricardo Faléro will serve as the grand conclusion of the display. It will be mounted on a curved wall at the far end of the room, with lighting directed from below to enhance the feeling of ascension. Unlike the first two paintings, which have elements of sorrow and restriction, The Planet Venus is all about freedom and celebration. There’s no hesitation in Venus’s expression—she isn’t longing or cursed, she simply exists in her full, radiant beauty. This painting will be displayed alone, with an open space around it, making it feel larger-than-life and allowing visitors to take in the full impact of Venus as an untouchable, divine figure.

By physically guiding visitors through these three stages—seduction and struggle, longing and separation, and finally, empowerment and divine beauty—the installation creates an experience that mirrors the way women’s sexuality has been framed in art: sometimes feared, sometimes idealized, but always deeply symbolic.

Installation note:

Art has long been fascinated with women—not just their beauty, but the way they make people feel. This installation, Seduction, Longing, and the Divine brings together three paintings that show different ways women have been viewed: Lamia by John William Waterhouse, The Blessed Damozel by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and The Planet Venus by Luis Ricardo Faléro.

Each of these paintings tells a different story about femininity and desire. Lamia is complex—she’s beautiful but caught in between worlds, both in her physical form and in the way she’s seen by others. She’s adjusting her hair, almost like she’s getting ready for something, but there’s sadness in her expression. Is she aware that her beauty is dangerous? Or is she just lost in thought? This painting captures the tension between attraction and consequence, a theme that has shaped the way women are seen in history.

Then, there’s The Blessed Damozel. Unlike Lamia, she’s not feared—she’s idealized, distant, and untouchable. She looks down from heaven, forever separated from the man she loves. There’s something heartbreaking about this image of a woman who can never be close to what she wants. Her passion exists, but it’s controlled, softened, and made into something spiritual rather than physical. She is a reminder of how often women in art are framed as objects of longing rather than people with agency.

Finally, we reach The Planet Venus, which completely shifts the tone. Venus isn’t longing, and she isn’t trapped—she is celebrated. This painting embodies the idea of female sexuality as something powerful and free. Unlike Lamia, who suffers for her beauty, or the Damozel, who can never act on her desires, Venus simply exists in her full, unapologetic form. She isn’t hiding, waiting, or struggling—she is divine.

The way these paintings are displayed in the room reflects this emotional journey. We start with Lamia, where desire is tangled with uncertainty and consequence. Then we move to The Blessed Damozel, where love and passion exist but are forever out of reach. Finally, we end with The Planet Venus, where beauty and sensuality are fully embraced.

Together, these works challenge visitors to think about the ways women’s sexuality has been framed over time. Why is it that desire is often portrayed as something dangerous or unattainable? Why is female sensuality either a source of tragedy or something idealized beyond human reach? This installation doesn’t offer a single answer, but it does encourage visitors to reflect on these ideas and the lasting impact they have on how we see beauty, love, and power in art.

Faléro, Luis Ricardo. The Planet Venus. 1882, oil on canvas, 111.3 x 62.8 cm. Wikipedia,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Planet_Venus_by_Luis_Ricardo_Falero.jpg 

Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. The Blessed Damozel. 1878, oil on canvas, 136.8 × 96.5 cm. Wikipedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blessed_Damozel#/media/File:Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti_The_Blessed_Damozel.jpg.

Waterhouse, John William. Lamia (version 2). 1909, oil on canvas, 91.4 × 57.1 cm. Wikipedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Waterhouse#/media/File:Lamia_Waterhouse.jpg