COVE

Display Explanation 

The three pieces of artwork chosen for the installation project are “The Models” by Georges Seurat, “Woman Combing Her Hair” by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas, and “The Two Friends” by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Each piece shares an intimate setting with the main subject or subjects.  

In Georges Seurat’s “The Models,” two of the three women are not facing the viewer. Their bodies are turned to the side, fully relaxed, away from the viewer’s gaze. This leads to the assumption that these women, minus the woman in the center, are unaware that they are being watched. I want the viewer in this museum to feel as though they are walking into the room or the environment that the subjects have been depicted in. “The Models” will be the first painting displayed in the exhibit. Because of its large dimensions (78.7 by 98.3 inches), “The Models” will have its own wall to be displayed on. Although the piece is roughly 6.5 feet tall, I want the observer to be almost at eye level with the center woman. This would create the feeling that you as the viewer are the one watching these women perform their private, everyday tasks. With the goal of bringing their environment to life, projections will illuminate the surrounding spaces on that particular wall. These projections would include the continuation of the bedroom scene already laid out in this painting. A similar color palette would be used, especially the gradient of the purple color painted on their wall. 

The second piece displayed in this installation would be “Woman Combing Her Hair,” by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas. This image shares another intimate seen with a woman getting herself ready for the day by simply brushing up her hair, her body nude and positioned away from the observer. Again, the uneasy feeling of this woman’s privacy being taken away is prominent in this piece. “Woman Combing Her Hair” will be displayed on the wall to the right of “The Models.” The dimensions of this piece are much smaller than those of “The Models,” which is why I have chosen to display “Woman Combing Her Hair” and “The Two Friends” on the same wall. “Woman Combing Her Hair” will be positioned about 4.5 feet from the ground. In front of the piece, a few feet away from the wall, a small, white cushioned bench will be placed. This is for the viewer to take a seat and observe Degas’s painting at the level in which the subject is placed, seated on her own couch. Once again, projections of similar colors and tones will fade from the wall that displays “The Models” into the portion of the following wall that exhibits Degas’s “Woman Combing Her Hair.” These colors include warmer tones, orange, and the continuation of the soft white couch she is seated on. 

The last piece displayed is “The Two Friends” by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Here, we see two women in night gowns or garments preparing to fall asleep. The environment may be outside or in a warmly lit room. They are laying down together, having an intimate moment while being watched from afar, unaware that their privacy is being confiscated. Again, wanting the viewer to be immerged into their world, observing these women through the eyes of the artist, this painting will be displayed just 3 feet from the museum floor. Infront of the painting will lay a soft tan mat for viewers to rest on while they observe this piece. The projected colors from the previous painting, “Woman Combing Her Hair” will nicely fade into the more nuetral tones projected around “The Two Friends.”  

While taking the viewers through this installation, I hope they would appreciate the beauty of the subjects, but, at the same time, feel unease or uncomfortable for observing these women in such intimate settings when they appear to be unaware of the viewer. The projected colors should take the viewers into a dream world, away from their actual surroundings, and allow them to fade into the environments that are shown in these three pieces.

Installation Note

The three pieces in this installation are “The Models” by Georges Seurat, “Woman Combing Her Hair” by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas, and “The Two Friends” by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Each piece of artwork deals with similar themes of intimacy, everyday tasks, and the overstepping of boundaries. 

“The Models” by Georges Seurat from 1887 depict three women in their bedroom, fully naked. The two women on the left and right side are turned away from the observer. Both women are getting dressed for the day and are seen in comfortable, unposed positions. The woman in the center is facing the viewer but appears annoyed. The slight tilt of her head, pierced lips, and clasped hands shows uptight and irritated body language. A universal theme for women is the understanding that no matter the environment or the way you present yourself, the threat of being observed, or more specifically objectified is always a possibility. This theme is prominent in Seurat’s “The Models.” Although one woman understands that the viewer is watching, the other two women are clearly unaware. The probability that an observer may see the women purely as bodies, especially because that are painted without clothing, is likely. The women are in no way seeking the male gaze but are simply performing a daily task of changing their clothes. This may not stop some viewers from taking this beautiful scene and portraying it in a sexual manner. 

“Woman Combing Her Hair” by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas was the second piece in this installation. This work is from the year 1885 and made with pastels. The woman is shown sitting cross-legged on a chair with her back to the viewer. She is clearly in a vulnerable state, beginning with the fact that she is naked and depicted as the only subject in this piece. Her solitude could lead to an uneasy feeling of possible danger. Although she is turned around, her entire back side is still exposed. This woman may not have complete awareness of her surroundings because of the direction in which she is seated. The viewers are also watching her fix her hair. In this time period, seeing a woman with her hair down would only be in a private setting, like her bedroom. This creates further intimacy between the viewer and the main subject. In relation to “The Models,” this woman could also fall victim of being objectified by the view.  

If objectification was not the case, she would be showing more acceptance and awareness of a second person being in her space and environment. Instead, her privacy was taken away. 

“The Two Friends” by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec from the year 1895 is the final piece in this installation. The main subjects of this painting are two women laying down together, either outside or in a room with a lot of natural light. Both women appear to have just lied down and are situating themselves to get comfortable. One woman has her back completely turned away from the viewer, and the second woman is only seen by the profile of her face. This woman’s eyes are nearly shut. This is a natural moment of two women who could be having a private conversation or moments away from falling asleep. Although the title is “The Two Friends,” their close proximity, comfortable body language, and warmth towards each other could make the viewer wonder if their relationship could go a bit further than a simple friendship. If this is so, this moment between these two women would be even more intimate and unwanted to be seen by an outsider. The women appear to be wearing night gowns or some type of undergarments. Although these women are clothed, unlike the other two works in this installation, they are still in vulnerable situations. Since these women appear to be resting, they are not in a state to fully protect themselves if needed. Just as the other images show, “The Two Friends” depicts a beautiful, intimate, and common scene from a woman’s day, but the fact that they appear unaware of the viewer seeing them in this state creates a more disturbing and unsafe feeling.  

Each piece used colors in a strong sense. All three works shifted towards muted tones which gave the paintings a softer feeling, tying into the women’s gentleness. The colors work well together between pieces because they each are focused on secondary colors, purples and oranges. They also each use softer brushstrokes and layered colored and tones to give the piece more dimension. These three works each share common themes of private settings, daily tasks done by women, and the daunting idea of being watched or sexualized when these women would least expect it. 

Works Cited 

Degas, Edgar. La Toilette (Woman Combing Her Hair). C.1884-86. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas#/media/File:Edgar_Germain_Hilaire_Degas_ 029.jpg.  

Accessed 2 Jan 2022.  

Seurat, Georges. The Models. 1887. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georges_Seurat_-_Les_Poseuses.jpg 
Accessed 29 Jan 2022. 

Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri. The Two Friends. 1895.  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Labandon_toulouse-lautrec-1895.jpg 

Accessed 21 Feb 2025.