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Basic Description of Contents:
# What are the books key themes and narratives?
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This book is about BOTH literary and visual (iconic) representations
of the inside of the homes and the relationship between the literary or
iconic image. It explores the link of domestic interiors to a notion of
psychological interiority throughout the chosen period of history. It deals
with:
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Period
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Countries or Country
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Foci
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15-16th Century
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Italy, Netherlands
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Religious art, The role of birthing rooms &
beds–in-rooms (virgin), family, death and sexuality, Classical lit., ,
Morality lit., The concept of boundaries – walls (and absent ones), doors
to other rooms, inside/outsides, fantasy interiors (440
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16th-17th Century
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England (London)
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Eizabethan & Jacobean theatre & drama mainly
focused on Shakespeare, settings in theatre (Garrick in 18th
60), domestic advice lit (68), prints (70)
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17th Century
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Netherlands
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Domestic interiors in painting: e.g. de Witts, Steen,
Maes, Metsu, de Hooch, Rembrandt, Vermeer. Inventories as evidence (98)
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18th Century
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England
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Writing and pictures of interiors – letters &
epistolary novel, Hogarth morality & satirical sets, domestic items –
plates, Private space and intrusion in that & other matters. Devis,
Zoffany, Collins, Rowlandson. Divisions between concerns of lit. &
visual art (127). Plans as evidence 128. Furniture and privacy (130)
erotic (132)
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18th – 19th Century
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England (a little USA)
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Hogarth compared to Turner – inward turn (137),
Richardson’s & Defoe’s novels, Highmore, Redgrave: Austen, Dickens
& Eliot. Cottage genre (154) cabinet house (156) Temperance &
Cruikshank (158).
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19th Century
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France
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This essay by Francesca Berry is for me the star of the
show as a model for the analysis of images and a justification of using
images semi-independently of language-based approaches (including
literature) - 166. Also very much my themes: Theoretical approach via
limitations of Benjamin (160) and over-simple early feminist ‘separate
spheres analysis169f. Psych: ‘psychic unrest of the bourgeois interior’ for
Degas (163) and identification of genres – at the table, at the window
(167), [Ernst too 161] Excellent on the role of Haussmann (180) innovations
and apartment living – 169 and use of Zola. Best analyses of Caillebotte
& others – men inside (173-179 and on the variation of interiority
trope between men and women (175-9). Nuanced on same in Vuillard (182).
Evidence- domestic advice books 184
Use in advertising 185
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19th – 20th century
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Europe & USA
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Great exhibitions (190f.), reform of design 195f. –
Arts & Crafts, Modernism 205f. poverty 212.
Evidence: children’s’ books 216
Photographs 218
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20th Century
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Modernism – Loos on 220ff, Use of plans & models
and their ability to change meanings (223ff), children & interiors 225ff.
Humans v. or in ‘space’ (227ff) – its quality as space – cited 233.
Abstraction 234f. & Nature235ff
Evidence: Citizen
Kane 240
Retail catalogues 242
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1930s-40s
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USA & GB
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Film as Evidence – Love
On the Dole (244f.) Hitchcock (247f.), Ealing comedy 251ff.
Evidence: migrant home 256
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20th Century
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UK
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DIY, TV & makeovers (starts 258): (not my bag but interesting).
Llewelyn-Bowen etc. (269f.) &
intrusion into privacy
Evidence: ethnography 274
Holidays 276
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How does it reflect on A843 themes?
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With Elkins & Naef, it joins – much more practically - some of
discussions on the relative importance of language and its absence in the
role of images in representation & meaning-making (as in A843 Section 3)
See 127, 166.
However, it is also important (overtly or by implication) on
authorship, iconology, forma & style, and geographies/institutions. One
of the good features of the book are the very many bits of evidence (and the
representational issues that come with them) it brings to attention if we
focus on a theme like interiority: visual forms & genres [including
prints (30, ) plans (38ff,223f, models 224 ) & pictures (38, 76ff.,
135ff., 137, 146ff), 163ff., 167, 173ff- 182), satire (169, 211), ], objects
& furniture (32, 74ff, 115ff, 193, ), (in)visible boundaries &
portals beyond (deeper – or shallower, to further inside to outside (35, 82ff
voorhuis, ), ideas of privacy & hygiene (92f. ), inventories (98f.),
literature (121ff, 147ff., 169 Zola, ), sociology (124ff., 212f, 256f.),
self-help, 184f., photographs (189f, 205ff, 218f., 221ff., 228f),
museums (199f., magazines (200ff., children’s’
books 216f,226f. , cinema (240f., 244ff.) TV (258ff).
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How do I predict that it might foreshadow A844 themes?
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Looking for an essay theme: Gender, class, sexuality, family &
change – the role of written & visual imagery. My own interest probably
best represented by Francesca Berry chapter on French painting, especially on
Caillebotte. This nuanced argument leads me to issue of ‘alternative
interiors and queer theory (Reed, C. 2004 Bloomsbury
Rooms).
Of course contribute to discussion of images section and how to
research practically then. Some issues for nationality and city themes
various throughout. Probably too much in detail to pick up here.
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How does the book relate to the analysis of art and architecture?
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Around issue of how to read and use plans and other evidence for
artistic form, meaning & their interaction, especially in relation to the
use (and extent of use) of literary material of popular or non-popular form.
Vital for issues of privacy and public functions in art and how these
are reconciled at many levels, especially in relation to a nuanced (in Berry
at least) view of gender, nation & migrancy, class, sanitation, sexuality
etc.
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