The Fitting 2021

Bo Bartlett painted "The Fitting" with oil on linen sometime after 1955, the year he was born. The scene evokes a sense of quiet domesticity and ritual. The cooly lit figures set against the warm pink room and the visual symbolism of a wedding dress and the concerned gaze of the elders invites us to consider the social significance of marriage in contemporary American culture. Bartlett's painting taps into the anxieties and expectations surrounding marriage. What cultural narratives and familial pressures shape this institution? The groom stands in the background looking on, framed by the door. What part does he play in this rite of passage? To fully understand "The Fitting," we can look to the artist's biography, reviews of Bartlett's exhibitions, and academic research on contemporary American social rituals. Doing so brings historical context to the artwork. We can consider art not just as aesthetic objects but as cultural artifacts that reflect and shape our understanding of the world.