A844 - Preparatory Reading - Aynsley, J. & Grant, C. (Eds.) (2006) imagined interiors
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A844 - Preparatory Reading
Book:
Aynsley, J. & Grant, C. (Eds.) (2006) imagined interiors: representing the domestic interior since the
Renaissance London, V & A Publications
Basic Description of Contents:
# What are the books key themes and narratives?
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:
Period
Countries or Country
Foci
15-16th Century
Italy, Netherlands
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
16th-17th Century
England (London)
Eizabethan & Jacobean theatre & drama mainly
focused on Shakespeare, settings in theatre (Garrick in 18th
60), domestic advice lit (68), prints (70)
17th Century
Netherlands
Domestic interiors in painting: e.g. de Witts, Steen,
Maes, Metsu, de Hooch, Rembrandt, Vermeer. Inventories as evidence (98)
18th Century
England
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)
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
19th – 20th century
Europe & USA
Great exhibitions (190f.), reform of design 195f. –
Arts & Crafts, Modernism 205f. poverty 212.
Evidence: children’s’ books 216
Photographs 218
20th Century
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
1930s-40s
USA & GB
Film as Evidence – Love
On the Dole (244f.) Hitchcock (247f.), Ealing comedy 251ff.
Evidence: migrant home 256
20th Century
UK
DIY, TV & makeovers (starts 258): (not my bag but interesting).
Llewelyn-Bowen etc. (269f.) &
intrusion into privacy
Evidence: ethnography 274
Holidays 276
How does it reflect on A843 themes?
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).
How do I predict that it might foreshadow A844 themes?
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.
How does the book relate to the analysis of art and architecture?
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.
Any other points!
A rich book with lots of great ideas about evidence used in arguments
(whether long or short arguments) within a thesis and how to bring different
evidence together (and re-differentiate them where necessary).
A844 - Preparatory Reading - Aynsley, J. & Grant, C. (Eds.) (2006) imagined interiors
A844 - Preparatory Reading
Book:
Aynsley, J. & Grant, C. (Eds.) (2006) imagined interiors: representing the domestic interior since the Renaissance London, V & A Publications
Basic Description of Contents:
# What are the books key themes and narratives?
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:
Period
Countries or Country
Foci
15-16th Century
Italy, Netherlands
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
16th-17th Century
England (London)
Eizabethan & Jacobean theatre & drama mainly focused on Shakespeare, settings in theatre (Garrick in 18th 60), domestic advice lit (68), prints (70)
17th Century
Netherlands
Domestic interiors in painting: e.g. de Witts, Steen, Maes, Metsu, de Hooch, Rembrandt, Vermeer. Inventories as evidence (98)
18th Century
England
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)
18th – 19th Century
England (a little USA)
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).
19th Century
France
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
19th – 20th century
Europe & USA
Great exhibitions (190f.), reform of design 195f. – Arts & Crafts, Modernism 205f. poverty 212.
Evidence: children’s’ books 216
Photographs 218
20th Century
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
1930s-40s
USA & GB
Film as Evidence – Love On the Dole (244f.) Hitchcock (247f.), Ealing comedy 251ff.
Evidence: migrant home 256
20th Century
UK
DIY, TV & makeovers (starts 258): (not my bag but interesting). Llewelyn-Bowen etc. (269f.) & intrusion into privacy
Evidence: ethnography 274
Holidays 276
How does it reflect on A843 themes?
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).
How do I predict that it might foreshadow A844 themes?
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.
How does the book relate to the analysis of art and architecture?
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.
Any other points!
A rich book with lots of great ideas about evidence used in arguments (whether long or short arguments) within a thesis and how to bring different evidence together (and re-differentiate them where necessary).
Benedict Anderson Imagined Communities (click to see in new window)
Lewis Mumford The City in History (click to see in new window)
Schama Landscape & Memory (click to see in new window)
Conway & Roenisch Understanding Architecture (click to see in new window)
Elkins & Naef (Eds.) What is an Image? (click to see in new window)
Moxey, K. (2013) Visual Time: The Image in History (click to see in new window)
Aynsley & Grant (Eds.) Imagined Interiors (click to see in new window)Boswell & Evans (eds.) Representing the Nation (click to see in new window)