Pandora 1882

Editor: This is Jules Joseph Lefebvre's "Pandora," painted in 1882. It’s an oil painting depicting Pandora sitting on a rock with the infamous box. I am struck by how much darkness surrounds the figure; it is not immediately clear if she will open it, or keep it sealed. What is your interpretation of the piece? Curator: Note how the artist positions Pandora. The use of chiaroscuro dramatically sets off the figure and invites us to carefully scrutinize the subject's facial expression and the placement of her limbs. Lefebvre's use of the female nude should also be recognized as symbolic and historical in nature; it invokes classical idealism through its idealized proportions and smoothed planes while drawing on traditions of female allegory and mythology. How might we view the box itself within that setting? Editor: I suppose it becomes more like a loaded compositional element then, something that unifies the narrative tension? Because her pale skin against the dark background certainly draws the eye toward the golden box in her hands. And, even without knowing the myth, you feel the importance of this... object. Curator: Precisely. We observe how the structure of the piece guides our reading. Observe the tension between Pandora’s body and the cool box. What does that contrast reveal? Also, let us acknowledge that the painter could very well just represent beauty; do we expect art to teach? Editor: That's a good point. The focus on the forms makes it easy to get lost in the philosophical underpinnings of fine art… Thank you. I appreciate how you've clarified the importance of visual construction in experiencing "Pandora."