Interior of a Room c. 19th century

Editor: This is Charles Jean Louis Courtry’s "Interior of a Room," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It has such a quiet mood, doesn't it? Almost like a stage set. What do you make of the relationships between the figures? Curator: It's interesting you see it as a stage set; I agree, there is something performative here. The figures are arranged as if for an audience, even though we're ostensibly peering into a private moment. Perhaps Courtry is reflecting on the performative aspects of domestic life itself. What feelings does that evoke for you? Editor: That’s a fresh way to see it – this isn't just a snapshot, but a constructed scene. Makes you wonder what the real story is! Curator: Exactly! And that's the joy of art, isn't it? It invites us to participate in the narrative.