The Singer c. 1880

Curator: Raimundo de Madrazo's "The Singer," painted around 1880, is a captivating example of late 19th-century portraiture. Editor: Ah, it feels almost dreamlike. A very poised figure, surrounded by muted tones. She almost blends into the background, yet, because of her luminosity, she definitely glows. Curator: Yes, Madrazo's handling of light and texture is indeed noteworthy. Observe the exquisite rendering of the singer's gown. The fabric practically shimmers. Also, consider how such luxurious materiality speaks to the social context. Editor: Her dress steals the show for me, no doubt. Though she appears to be reading, it is difficult to imagine this lady actually breaking a sweat, given the outfit. How could she, while adorned in what looks to be five thousand dollars worth of frills? There’s almost a separation, for me, between the act of making music and the clothing the artist has put her in. Curator: And isn’t that very contrast revealing about the time it was created? The painting can be considered a commodity meant to signal wealth and refined taste. What appears effortless certainly isn’t when we think about the processes of creating textiles or commissioning musical works for the bourgeois home. Editor: A portrait steeped in societal expectations of elegance. This painting really encourages us to consider what those layers, visible in her dress, can also mean for how we perceive our own projections of grace today. Does what we "wear" give the "right" impression, as the clothing gives here? Curator: That's precisely what's intriguing about studying these depictions: observing these figures lets us examine social conventions through material evidence. It encourages us to explore the very nature of the society they inhabited. Editor: This moment in the artwork feels strangely frozen in time; her surroundings and even her facial expression are like that of a figure in a wax museum, or like someone just waiting for me to push play and wake her from slumber! Still, beautiful. Curator: Absolutely, it offers a valuable portal into a bygone era. Editor: Definitely a moment to sit and let sink in, don't you agree?