And Shut the Chamber Up, Close, Hush'd and Still 1885

Editor: This is "And Shut the Chamber Up, Close, Hush'd and Still" created by Will Hicock Low in 1885. It's a charcoal drawing with gouache, depicting a classical scene. I'm really struck by how theatrical it feels, like a scene from a play frozen in time. How do you interpret the scene, given the context of its creation? Curator: Given that Low was a significant figure in the American Renaissance, known for his murals and decorative work in public buildings, this piece becomes really interesting when considering the cultural aspiration for art to uplift and ennoble. The composition seems almost staged, doesn't it? Do you think this staging adds a layer of artifice to the figure's emotion? Editor: Yes, definitely. It's like the artist is inviting us to consider a story he is telling and at the same time highlighting that it is staged and curated, and asking, perhaps, who exactly it’s all for. Curator: Exactly! This controlled presentation, particularly within the Academic Art style, played into the politics of imagery at the time. What kind of power do you see, for example, the artist wields in shaping our view on classicism here? Editor: Hmm… I never thought of it that way. I was initially responding to the narrative, to the emotion – perhaps imposed emotion – in the art and missing how the whole approach, academic and classical, is also saying something. It feels different looking at it now through a socio-historical lens! Curator: And hopefully highlights how considering an artwork's role in the broader social landscape provides avenues into fresh ways to interpreting it. Editor: Absolutely. I'll definitely carry that with me when approaching new artworks now. Thanks for opening up a fresh point of view!