La Musique 1897

Editor: Here we have Louise Abbéma’s “La Musique,” created in 1897 using charcoal. The wispy quality gives the image a dreamlike sensibility. I am especially interested in the book alongside her. What can you tell me about this drawing? Curator: Well, doesn't the figure evoke a classical muse, sitting amongst the clouds, complete with draped fabric, and wreath of flowers? Consider the violin, not merely an instrument, but a potent symbol of harmony and emotion since antiquity, and the nearby books invoking knowledge and creative inspiration. How might those elements interplay? Editor: I suppose the music that the muse makes can also tell a story through its tonality? Perhaps even a sad one considering her downward glance. Curator: Precisely! Abbéma, working within the Symbolist movement, layers such signifiers to tap into collective memory and unconscious desires. Even the very act of making marks with charcoal creates a direct connection between artist and image. How does that immediacy shape our understanding of this dreamscape? Does charcoal feel permanent or impermanent to you? Editor: Knowing the historical context gives me a clearer picture of her goals with "La Musique", I think I initially underestimated the dreamscape. Thanks so much for all this. Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Understanding that impact is important to understanding art from then, and now.