A Room With a View Some extra ‘art stuff’

The art-based binaries Forster uses art-based binaries to support two generally opposing forces in the novel The first force is Passion and generally aligns in the novel with renaissance figures. The strongest image of this can be in the “Michelangelesque” figure of George in Chapter 12 (p120) * Note that the name “George” has very strong romantic connotations – as we shall see in the following slides

The art-based binaries The second force at work is constraint In art, this constraint is conveyed through the limitations primarily placed upon women These limitations can be clearly seen in medieval/Gothic depictions of women

The medieval/gothic The medieval period of history is associated with chivalry, knights and fair maidens Forster uses the concept most strongly in his portrayal of Cecil –He was medieval. Like a Gothic statue (p81) –A Gothic statue implies celibacy (p81) The portrayal is clearly ironic, however, because we are given numerous ‘clues’ as to Cecil’s lack of physical prowess

The medieval hero This portrait depicts a classic medieval scene (St George slaying the dragon) The picture is from the early 1400s

Changing perceptions Forster takes the medieval knight with his chivalric ideals and offers a different concept more closely aligned to the Renaissance This ‘view’ of the knight is more ‘modern’ and enables Forster to explore a representation of men and women in a different and less confined state

Changing perceptions – the Renaissance Because Renaissance art revived many of the qualities of classic Greek and Roman thought, it enables a romantic perception of the hero without the constraint of the medieval view Painting in the Renaissance reflects this other view of women – not women as equals perhaps but women who are ‘engaged’ in life rather than aloof and separate

Changing perceptions – the Renaissance Raphael’s depiction of St George Painting dates from around 1530 Note the presence of the maiden – what has changed?

Changing perceptions – the Renaissance Here is another picture by Raphael Note the positioning of women here and what they represent There are numerous symbolic features (the sword, book and flower) what do the represent?

So why the big deal? We often get confused with these binaries because we (as modern readers) cannot see what Forster is trying to do We need to bear in mind that in the Victorian period (approx 1834 – 1899), there was a great revival of interest in the Gothic presentation of ideals especially in art

Why do the characters in ‘Room’ visit Italy and study Renaissance art? A good question! Because Florence and Rome were part of ‘The Grand Tour’ – an essential element in upper Middle Class education and refinement We should therefore consider how Baedeker would affect perception –Remember…how it was built by faith in the full fervour of medievalism before any taint of the Renaissance…(p22)

How to deal with the ‘taint’ of the Renaissance? The Victorians ‘restored’ Medieval ideals This picture shows how it was done It was painted in the 1860s

How do we use all this in our essays? Use the awareness of these forces. Forster is establishing some new perspectives about romance and the way women are involved in romance You can relate this to attempts in the novel to establish more modern liberal concepts of equality It can also help to explain Cecil’s own internal dilemma (p93 – “he contemplated her flushed face and excited gestures with a certain approval…”)

Common medieval features The lady on a ‘pedestal’ – the concept that the virtuous lady remains apart and aloof from ordinary ‘worldly’ matters (consider how Charlotte encourages Lucy not to engage in the mundane activities of shopping, posting letters etc.) The protective, valiant hero (consider Cecil’s actions of ‘guarding’ the ladies from male nakedness in Chapter 12)

Common Renaissance features The ‘engaged’ woman – women become involved in the action Numerous symbols and allusions – concepts related to the ‘complete’ knight Nudity and nakedness – although not depicted in the previous pictures, renaissance art sees a revival of the celebration of the human form

Human form - Michelangelo