Stay Awhile: Interiors in Art

Artists depict the indoors for many reasons. Some make the interior

the subject of their work, and the viewer is invited to explore a

real or imagined inner sanctum. For others, the interior provides

an elaborate setting that allows them to provide the viewer with

information to comprehend the work’s meaning. Sometimes, artists

render interiors more as frames or backdrops, but they remain

important for the viewer’s overall understanding. Often richly

detailed, these works encourage a longer look, or two or three.

Taking extra time to follow a line, consider a particular shape, or

ponder a color choice will steadily reveal new insights about an

artwork. This exhibition encourages us to pause, examine, and

reflect upon selections from Telfair’s permanent collection. The

prompts that accompany each of the works on view are starting

points for further visual exploration and conversation.

For example, John Ferguson Weir’s The Studio, enlarged on the

left, includes a wide range of artwork and objects. Carefully study

the larger version and see how many different objects you can

identify, or if you can spot any famous works of art. Notice the

costume that the young man is wearing, and the objects he carries

on the tray. Consider the reasons why Weir may have included all

this material in the depiction of an artist’s studio, and its implications

for the practice of being an artist in the 19th century.

Try to imagine what kind of art the person who used this studio

might create. What other new conclusions can you reach when

you linger on a work of art?

This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Harry DeLorme, director of education and senior curator, and Dr. Elyse D. Gerstenecker, curator of decorative arts, with assistance from Renee Kelliher, curatorial assistant for historic sites.