What a Line! 1949

Curator: Gil Elvgren's 1949 painting, "What a Line!," exemplifies mid-century American pin-up art. It's an oil painting portraying a woman in a domestic setting. Editor: Right, a classic! The first thing that strikes me is the heightened sense of drama. Look at that startled expression! It feels like we've just interrupted her call. Curator: Precisely. Elvgren mastered the art of implied narrative. He invites us into a private moment, but the narrative's core depends upon stereotypical representations of women. The suggestive posture, the partially exposed stocking... Editor: Stereotypical maybe, but let's be honest, there's something undeniably playful and alluring about it too! It's as though the painting itself is in on a secret. Did she put that book down just to have this phone call? Who's she talking to? All the elements just seem...fun. Curator: Her attire, a domestic blue dress combined with a red and white apron, also serves a key purpose. Consider the performative aspect of her role. On the one hand, there is this sense of implied duties to home life, but, by the way the character acts, the image subverts the passive role ascribed to women. The question of desire, her own agency in choosing to present herself in a certain way is key here. Editor: The way she's perched on that stool, balanced precariously... it adds to the precariousness and humor. Also, this might be far-fetched but this book is bothering me...I wish she’d just relax! I get nervous sitting like this, not knowing where everything goes! Curator: That tension is exactly what Elvgren aimed to create! This generates what we consider a “knowing wink” at the spectator, placing women at the forefront of the social dynamics. Elvgren certainly captures an important moment in America, where women occupy complex roles as the country shifted after the War. Editor: For me, it’s a light-hearted snapshot of a bygone era, a world seen through rose-tinted glasses, painted with incredible skill, sure, but capturing the sense of lightness, charm and escapism! Curator: Well said, this painting remains a point of access in our analyses and interrogations of shifting notions of gender roles. Editor: Absolutely. Plus, those shoes are fabulous.