Les Chasseuresses 1899

Curator: What strikes me is how timeless it feels, like a reverie lifted straight from a myth. Editor: That’s interesting. It actually gives me a jolt of déjà vu. Like a party I might have gatecrashed, or dreamt of? Anyway, let’s set the scene for everyone else, this is "Les Chasseuresses," painted in 1899 by Julius Leblanc Stewart, working in oil. Curator: Yes, Stewart creates such an intriguing layering of classical and modern elements, which invites a conversation about symbols across periods. On one level, it recalls classical scenes of nymphs or goddesses in a pastoral setting. We have the nude figure representing purity or unburdened joy, an ideal linked to earlier Renaissance works as well. Yet the artist infuses this subject with an unmistakable late 19th-century sensibility. Editor: So how does it dodge a costume drama and speak of "now?" It must be the women, right? They look less goddess, more liberated women in flowing Edwardian gowns, about to play field hockey. Maybe that tension gives the painting energy? The contrast of classical tropes and an almost bourgeois approach? Curator: Precisely! The scene becomes grounded with that dog in the foreground, and in doing so becomes an interesting symbol about the social ideals and role of women from the end-of-century perspective. There’s even a touch of artifice in their casual arrangements which disrupts any feeling of profound solemnity, right? Editor: Well I’d love to hear more, because frankly, I also thought it looked like a champagne ad, or a soap commercial! The tones of green on green...are almost oppressive. But that impressionist touch is great. Anyway, now you've got me seeing how he created such a multi-layered artwork! A lot of messages packed in there! Curator: Indeed, that kind of juxtaposition and disruption—or intermingling of elements--really captures the era's sense of transformation in understanding culture and beauty. So it is really nice to notice the ways the painting is built on continuity of imagery as well!