Harriet Backer was the sister of concert pianist Agathe Backer Grøndahl, and she toured with her sister. Traveled with her, that is, Harriet wasn't an opening act. But she was an artist, a painter, and during their travels she continued to study, including some time with Jean-Léon Gérôme. It paid off.
Unlike Gérôme, though, she doesn't really come off as an academicist. This is perfectly imperfect. Looking at "Blue Interior" above I'd note that her dates are 1845-1932. Among other things this means that electric light became a regular household fixture during her life. And I'm sure that in her mature years that invention came in quite handy for her. But as seen here, there's nothing quite like early morning sunlight. Especially in the way that it doesn't cover everything.
2 comments:
It's odd to think that Harriet who accompanied her concert pianist sister is still famous while Agathe has been largely forgotten. I'm sure she was renowned in her time but there are many singers and musicians who might continure to be well known if only there'd been recording equipment available at the time.
For some odd reason I like Gérôme's Pygmalion and Galatea although I'm aware it's not the best of his many many paintings. He's known as an academicist because of the studied formality of his images despite the style losing popularity as Impressioism gained ground. 'Oh, he's so old fashioned!' was the cry. He may not have been portraying the truth of history but he certainly captured some of the grandiose elements. Apparently he was a very good teacher and that's important - obviously he imparted some good recommendations to Harriet Backer.
The seats of the chairs, the little rug in front of the window and the painting of the Grand Canal, maybe even her dress, are blue but looking closer I see the title of the piece likely relates to the overall quality of the light. It's all blue.
Harriet Backer's paintings are staggerinly beautiful - the complexity of her palette is wonderful but the interaction of her subjects and their environments make them classics. This was a good find.
Yes, Agathe was a composer as well as a pianist, and her music is well regarded by those who know it. But of course that's the thing. Not many do these days. Recording was still in its early stages at the end of her life, low in fidelity. The advances in recording that happened post-Great War benefited new classical composers as well, even if they weren't at the top of popular tastes.
Pygmalion and Galatea is an archetypical work. It stands for the ideal of making a work so lifelike that it actually seems to come to life. Yes, I know that in the myth it was Aphrodite who brought Galatea to life, but that was because Pygmalion was so dedicated, and pledged his work to her. Anyway Gerome was such a consummate painter he's never been forgotten, even if he represents another era.
The blue of the sky must be so intense that it permeates the room. Good move to include the couch and flowers, which are a complementary orange. It brings some added snap.
I'm glad you liked this. It is a lovely little microcosm.
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