This Painting Revealed A Tragic Reality
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- Опубліковано 11 лис 2024
- This piece is called The Hesitant Fiancée, also known as The Reluctant Bride by Auguste Toulmouche. We’re placed in a richly decorated parlor room. Our eyes are immediately drawn to a young bride seated toward the bottom center of the painting bathed in a bright light coming from the opposite side of the room. Anger and defiance burn in her eyes. Is she preparing for her wedding or are we witnessing the aftermath? We can’t really know for sure. But one thing is for certain - this is not what you're supposed to look like on your wedding day.
Two young women surround the young bride. They appear to be around her age- perhaps her friends or her sisters. Though the two girls seem to be trying to console her, the bride looks annoyed and exhausted… by them… By everything. In the background we see a young girl, perhaps the bride's younger sister. She’s wearing the bride’s headdress and admiring herself in the mirror, seemingly lost in thought-perhaps imagining her own wedding day, far in the future. This girl might symbolize innocence or reflect how the 'reluctant bride’ once felt about marriage before fully realizing what she was getting into.
Auguste Toulmouche unveiled this piece at the 1866 Paris Salon, where it was originally titled 'The Marriage of Convenience'. This gives us a crucial hint: the young bride is likely being forced into an arranged marriage. This means that the bride's parents likely chose her husband for her and she probably didn’t get much of a say, if any. So… is that glare really directed at us, or her parents?
Thank you for watching!
Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
smoke effect from Vecteezy
I have never seen a more “done with this sh*t” expression in a classical painting. Girl is such a mood. 😂
I just love how you worded this !
Certainly brought a chuckle from me !
Especially the girl is such a mood ! 🤪 🎉 😒
@@fangirlstampede3065 "There better be wine."😑🍷
She's a whole mood! And I love it 🌹
Well, there's always "Truth coming out of her well" by Jean-Leon Gerome.
She instantly reminded me of Princess Diana. 😢 We've even seen that look on her face.
One of the things that strikes me hardest is the contrast between her limp body and the rage in her eyes. She knows how powerless she is in this situation, and she hates it.
It is heartbreaking and sickening. You absolutely nailed it with this comment
I feel like this wouldn't hit as hard without the girl in the back. Knowing that her, presumably, little sister is excited to end up in the same place as her older sister.
Yeah, that clinches it for me.
It’s as if the bride is glaring at her parents and thinking “Ugh…you’re going to marry her off soon too, right?” Like her innocent dreams of being happy in a marriage were dashed and she’s completely over it all.
The younger girl's understanding is shallow, she is young and biddable still, not yet thinking for herself (if she ever does.)
@@1234cheerful I imagine the poor girl assumes she would have a choice in whom she marries... only for the Parents to go, "Nope! You're marrying this ugly old rich guy... because... rich!".
Seeing that intimidating "Kubrick Stare" of defiant rage, I have a headcanon that she goes "Runaway Bride" with the guy she REALLY likes, and they live in some far-off land under assumed names!
Or she marries the guy she's stuck with but gets some arsenic and claims it's a legit illness.
It's like sequel bait for this horror flick of a painting 🙇🏾♀!!
I think all the females in the protrait represent the different stages in womanhood.
1. The woman in blue who wears a ring, understands the emotional complexities the bride is facing. The intimacy suggest she has a similar experience and offers her support during this significant moment.
2. In contrast, the woman in orange/red, who does not wear a ring, is likely single. She comforts the bride's hand, but maintains a safer emotional distance. It is likely she may only grasp the bride's struggle from afar and may also reflect on her own future relationships/marriage.
3. The young girl embodies innocence and untouched by the complexities of marriage and relationships. Her naivety contrast the perspectives and experiences of the other three women.
... that's my two cents, lol. 😅
Dearie, don't downplay your intelligent take on this with a 'lol'. I think you are spot on ;-)
sorry but the girl on the left has a ring on her right hand, so not a marriage ring? and you can't even see the fingers on the girl on the right so I don't really understand how you came to that conclusion
@@CamillaBotwedding ring commonly worn on right hand in France and other European countries.
I enjoyed your analysis😊
🎯
Dude, you can tell by each and every face, he likes these women. He likes to see them as they are, and likes their individual personalities. This is great.
Auguste Toulmouche painted fabric in a way that made it look photorealistic in places. The realism of his work is gorgeous
You can nearly feel the fabrics ❤
I agree. It's just stunning!
Toulmouche was definitely an ally to women. As a single woman, I'm looking forward to seeing this masterpiece one day
he's a girl's girl 💅
She looks like she would poison her husband. Can't wait to find out what happened after.
Probably did.
Probably wondering how much Aqua Tofana she's going to need.........
@@yafaniatorres-martinez4306 i just comented the same thing, she probably is going to pull "Some men just can't hold their arsenic" as soon as she is able to.
@@yafaniatorres-martinez4306 +1 uncommon historical knowledge point!
@@despinasgarden.4100 He had it comin'! He had it comin'!
One slight correction: arranged marriages didn’t occur "mainly" among the wealthy but almost exclusively among them, and they always had. One of the most pervasive falsehoods we collectively hold about the Western past is the myth that it was common for women of all classes to be forcibly married off at a very young age to men chosen by their families. No poor family was keen to marry off daughters who contributed far more to the household economy than they cost to keep. Town or country, farm or factory, daughters of poor families were an important source of labour - and in the past, before the rise of the middle class, almost everyone was poor. There's a great deal of documentary evidence to back this up, too.
But that assumes a white Christian background. Different cultures within Europe kept to arranged marriages for all incomes, especially when religion was involved.
@@LB-ge8ihwhat non white non christian cultures are you regering to?
@@ingegerdandersson6963 Sephardic Jews and Roma, and (to a lesser extent) Muslims, all in France during the 1800s.
@@LB-ge8ihYes, exactly. My (Ashkenazi) Jewish grandmother was pregnant out of wedlock, and she was rushed into a marriage with my grandfather. This was in Ukraine around 1917.
You aren’t taking into account apprenticeships or family businesses with no male heir, or an heir too young to practically take over. Plenty of middle and working class families would indeed arrange marriages for their daughters if it helped the family business. You are making the erroneous assumption that women always married out of their families, or that a girl’s marriage was always a financial or labor loss to her family. Yes lower class women on average married later, but family net gain could still trump personal preference at any level of society. Outside of titles, if the woman’s family held the power/money/influence, her husband might be required to take her name, or take over the family business. You see this in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s mother’s family was the local law office, and her aunt Mrs Phillips married one of her father’s assistants.
I’m not saying working class marriages were all arranged, you are correct about it being much rarer in the lower classes for economic reasons. But it’s equally incorrect to claim that arranged marriages could never be financially beneficial to lower class families, and so never happened. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
The queen has returned 🙌🙌
Long live the Queen.
It has been a while ... I wonder what she's been up to? Actually, I know absolutely nothing about our narrator queen ...
@@rpfree I guess somethings are determined to remain secret 😅😅
You got me with "motherf*****kin ground". I do love art history.
"Sorry, conjecture." That was hilarious!
I love these deep dives into art pieces
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You're BACK! I'm so happy!
And in my mind, Toulmouche saw through the crappy ways of his time and was on the side of women. He saw that women were their own people, worthy of respect and admiration in the same way as men. He was an ally.
The way this man painted fabric is truly *chef's kiss*
I don't know if i can go another 4 months without a new video from you. I'm always checking to make sure i didn't miss an alert. Thank you for covering this beautiful painting.
It was a bit of a drought period.
YES THE RELUCTANT BRIDE!! One of my favorite classical paintings, specifically my favorite featuring feminine rage. I did a quick study of this in the form of an ink sketch because the expression and composition has always been so striking to me
I'm so impressed with his fabric rendering. Some of the dresses look photographic they're so well executed.
I have to applaud this man… Considering that this was painted during a time when women were viewed as possessions and second class citizens at best, when they were painted as such, he decided to portray them as individuals with thoughts and feelings. You can feel her personality in this painting. Whatever is going on with this marriage, she’s about ready to turn her wedding into the prom scene from Carrie 😂 I can’t say I blame her… After being married 25 years myself, knowing what I know, I’m guessing my face would look much the same if I had that knowledge before hand 😂
her face literally says "f around and find out"
This is a powerful painting. Stunning really.
He paints hands really well holy cow
Definitely NOT AI
@@2degucitas that was my first thought exactly lol no need for counting fingers
He is good with anatomy
I think his work is absolutely stunning. The detail, and life like depictions are incredible.
They should call it " The Murderous Bride" .
Exactly my thought 😆 That is definitely an "I'll be a widow by tomorrow morning" expression.
"YYYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
@@janets8499 ARSENIC A-GO-GO, BABY!
LET THE BODY HIT DA FLOOR!
LET THE BODY HIT DA FLOOR!
LET THE BODY HIT DA FLOOR!
She can do it gradually, so it looks like hubby got some other sickness. There she is, under the guise of nursing him back to health, adding tiny bits of arsenic to her spouse's food and drink... then she inherits his stuff!
Gorgeously painted despite the heavy subtext. His paintings are lush & beautiful.
I love the personal touch and the empathy you invest in your narrations and special effects. This one was definitely a highlight of my day. Thank you!
As an introverted bride who got married two years ago, I can relate to The Reluctant Fiancée in that I really could’ve used more time to be alone for a minute and recharge during the busyness of the day (though I didn’t have that much intense rage as the bride in the painting).
I was very lucky to marry a man that I love and was surrounded by friends and family, so that’s amazing progress in the grand scheme of things. I also wore an embroidered light lilac purple dress vs having a plain white one
I love that you wore a non-traditional dress! it sounds beautiful.
Oh, I relate! The wedding (civil) in the morning was lovely, but the obligatory "celebration" afterwards... I just really wanted everybody to go home. I wore a pale yellow satin dress with wide white lace trim that I made myself (I am an introvert but I am *not* a seamstress, so I started it almost 9 months before the wedding day in order to keep the pressure to a minimum, lol).
I find their entwined hands very interesting. The woman in blue is engaged herself for she has a ring on her right ring finger. The one in red is holding the brides fingers, specifically her wedding ring finger (on the _left_ hand). They are honding her down, holding in the sign that says "I conform to the marriage institution".
And the poor little sister is in her own little world oblivious to the fact that the reality marriage, having a husband, being dependent on someone you don't know and who doesn't feel the need to protect and respect you, is more complex than the fairy tale they have been sold to since the crib.
yes. It's possible, if we conjecture tthese are sisters, that an economically advantageous marriage (shall we say) for one cister may set the others up for better matches. Once the oldest sister is married, the others come up in their turn.... unless somebody gets slopped over, possibly to end up a spinster old maid.
YOU GOT ME INTO ART HISTORY I LOVE U
Me too
Toulmouche was a bit of a hottie himself. The painting seems empathetic of the young woman’s plight but the intensity of the gaze makes me believe the husband will not escape emotionally unscathed. It’s amazing that the dress seems almost iridescent as the light bounces of of it. I would have pegged her collar and trim as ermine because of the size but I am ignorant regarding the fashion of the period.
I would think that- in a painting, especially, if you want ermine to read as such, you kinda have to use the tails.
Your narration is always superb.
The graphics that you slip in while noticing the smallest detail of accessories on a chair and showing the imagined entrance of her friend is thrilling.
Love the laser eyes.
Your critiques are always exquisite.
The queen has returned
I love the way you structured the information you present! I loved the surprise that The Forbidden Fruit was possibly a prequel that painted more of the story.
I've been watching your videos for quite a while, and I must say-thank you for teaching me how to appreciate these paintings! I was one of those people who love visiting all kinds of museums but secretly skipped most art museums because I didn't know what there was to appreciate except, 'Yeah, it's a beautiful painting, and...?' So I really appreciate how you introduce each of these paintings and kinda guide us through the painter's background, the story behind the painting, and the painter's intentions, making each and every painting contain so much more depth; it's so refreshing, like stepping out of a dark, musty place into a bright and comfy environment! Please keep up the good work!
I had a bit of an epiphany once, about twenty years ago seeing the "Barnes Exhibit" (he was a collector, and this was a selection from his collection). One painting had a pastoral scene, with chickens in the foreground. But when I went up close, it was just a few splooshes of paint, the head wasn't even connected. But back up a few feet, and that's definitely a chicken. It taught me a lot about how we see things.
I have a photo from my first marriage (1975) the look on my face was 10 times worse. I still laugh when I see it!
Excellent analysis here. Of course I must add my thoughts!! "looks annoyed" -- try "looks sullen." She is way past annoyed. No marriage, no money! No money, no pleasantly appointed lifestyle; but the tradeoff of so much of her own self for creature comforts and social position has harshed her mellow something fierce. Bet that husband will be a lousy "teacher" too. EXCELLENT analysis.
I LOVE YOUR POSTSS
You were missed as you can see :)
Happy you're back and hope all is well.
babe wake up the queen has posted
Yass
fun insightful analysis - thank you. been waiting for your next video. once you pointed it out, it seems obvious that the girls in the library are the same ones in the subject painting.
Glad you're back!
And there is Sir Walter Scott's "The Bride of Lammermoor", wherein the bridegroom is stabbed by his new wife before the wedding night has barely started. (There is also a great opera with the same story, "Lucia di Lammermoor". 🤔
Hell yeah! You go, girl!
I love this channel as I had never seen these paintings before and never heard of this artist. How ironic the Impressionists were unpopular (when they started) and even today they are remembered over the Salon's "winning" selections of paintings.
My nan was told about how sex happened on the night before her marriage by her elder, married sister, because her own mother could not bring herself to talk about it. My nan married around 1925 at the age of 24. Until then she'd been kept in total ignorance about "how babies are made".
I'm afraid it wasn't a very pleasing thing to women back then, even now some men are "she's not supposed to be too wet down there, also women cannot orgasm" 😬 Her sister was probably like "it's going to suck but you must endure until you get pregnant and then you must endure pregnancy"... Traumatic shit most women went through back in the day, and these who couldn't put up with it anymore were called crazy and hysterical...
I’m finally EARLY! I love your videos! They help me to see things in art I’ve never noticed ❤
Thank you so much for saying that! I'm so happy you love the videos 😊
So glad to see you back. 😊
Thank you, Dave!
@@Art_Deco 👍
Yours is the most informative and fascinating channel. I was so happy to see this pop up today! Thank you for sharing your keen observations.
I drew this on a white board once. One of my favorite paintings. Love the amount of story held in one frame.
I look forward to these. Always adds to the picture to know what people long ago knew. but now forgotten
IM SO EXCITED!!! I MISS THE NEW UPLOADS
YES ANOTHER ART DECO VIDEO!!! ❤🎉🖼️
Yay! I'm so excited, I've been looking forward to your next post 🥰
Yess a new video
Glad you're back. We've missed you.
Yay, you're back ❤
No lie, I was just thinking about your channel today wishing there was a new vid! Fantastic insights as usual.
As insightful as ever. Wonderful.
@Art Deco 💜💚💛🥰 Thank the Gods!! I just love and adore all of your uploads!! Can't get enough! I ve watched them all, shown them to family and friends! Thank you so much for all you do and your studies, thought, humour and giggles that you put into these Masterpieces, be proud!
I'm not sure if you noticed;
There is a small hand holding the other hand of the girl to the left in the blue dress, as her hand is on the back of the chair!
Awesome! Thanks Again.
Sending love your way from here on the Bluenose Coast💙🤍
That looks like me back in September 7th of 90’.
A rush one at that ,FACT! No disrespect to my finally divorced X. We good as friends. No benefits.
Breathtaking presentation!
She just met her fiance the day before and is practicing her eyerolls - she’ll need it.
Also 10/10 pairing with Dance of the Knights
I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t familiar with Auguste Toulmouche. Seems like a precursor to Sargent. They aren’t portraits per se right? Sargent at least only painted women like this as portraits.
We are all shaped by our own time, and even marriage with someone you know can turn into a kind of trap…
I really loving where this channel is going. I haven’t watched in quite a while, but it’s gotten better and better with time! Keep it up!
Thank you! ❤
your channel is so good!! These videos are so interesting ❤❤
I love the way you use modifications of art to animate your narration. The "what have I gotten into" experience is more universal than marriage or women becoming married. This is a moment in time that obscures what they may experience later on when they may learn to be thankful the situation was at least somewhat imposed on her.
"they would do better to let tomorrow's lover instruct them...". WHAT!!? What an old creep, insisting girls be ignorant on their wedding night. Yuk
Sounds like: Don't teach them what normal is or they'll question or resist whatever kinks their husband has.
Women were kept ignorant of such things at that time; even educated women. You would’ve hated living during any time in history prior to 1960s probably.
That was the standard ideals of the times: keep both ignorant about their bodies.
Thank you for finally covering this. It's one of my favorite paintings, it reminds us that women are still exchanged like currency for rich and powerful men to this day. That last line of yours was poignant, and depressingly, very true.
actually some people do wear green or jewel tones in south asia nowadays, although most prefer shades of reds as tradition
I love Toulmouche’s paintings! They’re gorgeous! The two you have highlighted here are definitely among the most interesting. I’m sure she has been forced to marry someone she loathes!
Thank you you're literally an art goddess
This is one of those "blink twice if you need help" moments
And she just keeps glaring straight ahead like, "Oh I'm sorry, you _think_ I might need help? Do you need me to clarify that for you? Are you sure blinking is enough, or would you prefer a little interpretive dance?"
She always explains this so well
I love those Videos so much
Hurray - finally!! I have been waiting for a new post! I love how you interject humour in with your subject.
grand timing 😃 to say she looks pissd, is quite the understatement (''burn it to the ground'' ralph's leprechaun: the simpsons😆)
🇨🇦🤟
It's a great day when Art Deco drops a new video.
The intricate colour's of the maidens throw and the chair combine like a tapestry creating a dark vibe 😮🎉
This is SO interesting. Always happy I watched.
This painter is amazing and incredibly brave. I believe that he is deliberately capturing the emotions of young women, surrounding the subject of marriage. It’s like a storybook of images, so wonderfully captured. As telling as a photograph. I couldn’t imagine being a woman then. Arranged marriages to complete strangers, married far too young. Expected to bear children in their bare teenage years, often married to men that were so senior to their young ages. Being poorly looked upon, for not bearing a male heir. I honestly cannot believe how badly women were viewed and treated in the past. This artist was brave enough to capture these moments in time.
NEW ART DECO VIDEO! HOORAY!
I love when you post! Thank you for the amazing content! It's well put together, entertaining, and educational!
It's so nice to have you back. We missed your fun sence of hummer and in depth research about art. Today's video was really good. Come back as soon as you can. Oh yeah your editing and image movements really make the videos so much more entertaining. Thank you for having fun with the art world.
You're right : the expression on the bride's face is best described as "seething with rage" and would easily translate as : "They don't know it yet, but they're all going to pay dearly for this !". You can see through her body language that she is completely unresponsive to her mother's/sisters'/friends' affectionate gestures, all her energy being put into hating this moment and preparing for the "future".
Love the "... it looks like she is using it (her brain) to think of ways to burn the entire place to the mother f... ground." comment 😉
I think the lighting and the use of heavy black in this piece bring it so much life. That dark chair contrast behind her face is perfection
The hidden French flag is an amazing symbolism. Didn't expect to see that.
Thank you, thank you!! Drop everything, Art Deco posted!!! About that fur, I'm thinking it's too dense and too short for fox. I'm getting an ermine vibe. Still expensive.
Very interesting. I didn't know this artist. I like him. There's no way in the world that young woman wanted to be married to whoever he was. She seems to find him revolting! She can't be comforted and hates having to marry him. I wonder if this was a real woman? Whether she was or not, he's certainly making a statement about forced marriage for women. Excellent painting. Very expressive.
As a museum and history lover, these videos hit a soft spot in my heart. Thank you for the content!
Yay! Glad to see you back. This was a good one, thank you.
It reminds me of portrait of a lady on fire.
GUYS WAKE UPPP NEW ART DECO POST HELL YEAHHHH
Absolutely Art Deco You are True one priceless Jewelry piece of Art that no one can afford to loose !
Yes. AND your editing is fire 🤟🏾💕
New favorite art history teacher, found!!
She looks fed up with the whole system. Did she even want to get married in the first place?
I've always been annoyed at art critics who insist on using "we", as if everyone MUST agree with them. Why don't you just say you are the one with these ideas, and give your audience the respect we deserve by letting us think what we want?
This was another great video. I'm glad you came back.
He was painting candids he was like a photographer frl the fabric in every painting is so dynamic def shows his mastery of the craft. Great video! Subbed :)
So excited to see this video! I checked back a few times searching for the latest release. 💓 Thank you for these amazing deep dives into artwork. 😊
Glad to have you back.
Thank you - I thoroughly enjoy and learn from your videos!!!