Rest Assured 1952

Editor: So here we have Gil Elvgren's "Rest Assured," painted in 1952 using oil paints. The overall feel is one of quiet domesticity mixed with a touch of playful allure. What are your thoughts on this piece? Curator: You know, looking at this, I'm reminded of a hushed stage, aren't you? It’s almost as if the artist has pulled back a curtain to reveal a fleeting moment in this woman’s private world. Elvgren was a master of capturing these poised, intimate glimpses, wouldn't you say? How do you feel the spotlight affects your reading? Editor: It makes her feel like the subject of admiration. But there is also the overturned book next to the woman, which adds an element of disarray. She's heading to bed, maybe? Or did the book simply fall? Curator: Oh, I love that you picked up on the book. For me, it sings of unfinished narratives, of stories waiting to be picked up again. Does it suggest, perhaps, the delicious pull of daydreams over practical tasks? Editor: Perhaps... she doesn't seem worried by it, at any rate. Do you see a relationship to advertising in this artwork? Curator: Ah, advertising! Yes! Elvgren cut his teeth in that world. His mastery of the female form certainly lends itself well to product presentation. There is definitely an "aspirational" quality. Do you feel this diminishes the artistic merit, or elevates it? Editor: It makes it more approachable, perhaps less "high art" and more down-to-earth. Curator: I'd agree! I really like seeing the way he could straddle both. And that final touch of applying a title that speaks of quiet confidence, like a satisfied sigh at the end of a fulfilling day. Marvelous, truly. Editor: Yeah! It's a clever perspective. It shifted the way I looked at the painting. Thanks.