Experience and Response

The work was in a darkened room in the  Carnegie Museum of Art. I think I was drawn to it because it was big and had a lot of life to it. It was much wider than the span of my arms (a massive painting); I had to physically step back to get the whole image in my vision. I first noticed the lively nature of the room, the nice scene outside of the window, and the different groups separating the 18 people depending on their activities. The flat brush strokes evoked a sense of anonymity (faces are not visible), yet still portrayed such exquisite detail. The warmth of the painting and the children on the ground reading the book made me think, perhaps this is a family? Although the scene seen through the window did not seem American, the 1926 signature at the bottom right made me think of The Great Gatsby, and how extravagant that time period was. However, the people posing for a man painting changed my initial assumption. Perhaps, something of a studio where people could practice their art? Given the angle, it seemed plausible. The man next to the woman in gold seemed also to be painting the room. Perhaps Simon was standing from another angle and painting the same scene, and perhaps he himself appeared in the other man's sketch? It was an overflow of art in one room, almost too much to be contained. The shading helped me place everyone.  Every person was in the middle of an action, and I could place myself in the room and see exactly what they would do next.