Misses Solomon 

Editor: We're looking at Anders Zorn's watercolor, "Misses Solomon." The painting has this incredibly intimate, almost snapshot-like quality, with one girl arranging the other's hair. What’s your take on it? Curator: Zorn’s work often presents a specific perspective on modern life, and here we see it through the lens of class and representation. He gained notoriety by painting scenes of everyday life with a focus on women. Considering the painting's possible turn-of-the-century timeframe, what can we read into the subject matter of leisure and domesticity for affluent young women? Editor: So, it’s not just a sweet scene of girlhood, but also a commentary on their privileged social standing? The kimono she is wearing is not a dress code that Western young women follow, which adds to the meaning that needs explaining. Curator: Precisely. Think about the societal expectations placed upon young women of that era, particularly within wealthy families. Their role was often confined to the domestic sphere, cultivating beauty and social graces. This watercolor becomes a study of that gilded cage, doesn't it? Note how the Impressionistic style softens the scene, perhaps romanticizing it, while simultaneously revealing a kind of confinement. What aspects of the composition reinforce this idea for you? Editor: Maybe the focus on the interior setting and the implied privacy of the moment contributes to that feeling? Almost like we’re not meant to be there, which is odd. And maybe even that this style made art approachable, even marketable to upper-middle-class families? Curator: Absolutely. Zorn, with works like "Misses Solomon" capitalized on the taste of rising middle class audience by presenting a selective view of femininity. Now I look at this painting through the context of women, class and impressionism. What do you think? Editor: I didn’t even think about that. This changed everything!