The Violin’s Reflection 1945

Editor: So, this is Serge Charchoune's "The Violin’s Reflection," painted in 1945, using oil paint. It’s fascinating, this fractured way of presenting the violin. It makes me wonder what compelled the artist to portray a musical instrument like this. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This painting strikes me as less about the "reflection" and more about the physical act of creation and societal consumption. Oil paint, the medium, takes center stage here. Its texture, built up layer by layer, emphasizes the artist’s labor. Note the earthy tones, and geometric organization of space – can you think about how these colors would be sourced, and mixed by the artist in that period? Editor: Interesting! I hadn't considered that. I was so focused on the subject. Curator: Consider then, the implied socio-economic conditions under which Charchoune was working in 1945. Europe was healing. Materials would have been scarce, and expensive. So, why choose oil, and canvas – materials of the established Salon – versus cheaper options? Perhaps it was a deliberate act of cultural reconstruction. What do you think about the implied relationship between the high-art subject matter and the materials used to render it? Editor: That makes so much sense now! The materiality underscores a historical period of artistic practice – almost elevating that humble combination of the instrument, the method and materials as one effort. Curator: Precisely! The artwork shifts into more of an assertion through its production. Seeing the work as more than just image makes a major difference, no? Editor: Absolutely! I’ll never look at abstract art the same way again. It's exciting to think about the materials holding as much meaning as the subject itself.