Old Times 1877

Curator: Immediately, I see this painting as something of somber. The colors, though muted, evoke a contemplative mood. Editor: You’ve keyed into its feeling nicely. Let me introduce “Old Times”, painted in 1877 by Edmund Blair Leighton, crafted using oil paint. Leighton was a Romanticist and member of the Academic Art movement, so his pieces reflect their standards for both style and content. Curator: Knowing the period gives this encounter added resonance. The sitter appears confined; his gaze, directed away from the viewer, suggests isolation. I can't help but wonder about the restrictions of gender and social class at the time, and how they played out in shaping this individual’s experiences. Editor: Yes, that's a good reading. Now, notice the way Leighton handles the paint—there's a clear focus on detailing textures, from the gentleman's well-groomed beard to the fabric of his coat. The materials, themselves, tell us much about the society and the availability of these kinds of luxurious resources. Oil paint, in its creation and use, required labor and technology... Curator: Absolutely, and thinking about production is key. Consider that the materiality—from the pigment of the oils, to the very surface they are applied to—also conveys social meaning, particularly for its original audience, given the politics of image making at the time. Who was he trying to reach and how was he using images of men like this one to do it? Editor: Exactly, this makes me think that the context informs the subject so deeply—this moment of introspective solitude tells us much. It speaks of privilege and contemplation in times when labor dictated life, reflecting the Romantic movement's own obsession with looking to "Old Times". Curator: Leighton’s art truly does encourage me to think through complex historical, social and personal themes. It's as if we’re getting a glimpse into the private sphere of a figure navigating a world of changing gender roles. Editor: I agree, I was caught off guard, and then was thinking through how materials reflect so much more about their cultural environment and context than it originally seems to!