UNDERSTANDING THE PAINTING & NARRATIVE

For project 2 Room and Narrative, I have chosen Pieter de Hooch’s renowned oil painting “Mother Lacing her Bodice Beside a Cradle”.

Most of Hooch’s paintings, depicting domestic scenery which I have studied had female figures and children in them. This one attracted me the most because the central womanly figure reminded me of my own mother. The soft glow on her face, the half smile and the kindliness, these features are things we see in every mother. To be able to produce warmth, sense of security and comfort through a painting that does not use words is amazing. This picture evokes all those emotions within me and while looking at it, I find that I could have easily fitted into this domestic setting, without disturbing the balance of the scenery.

The aspects of this painting that I have decided to pursue in my design are as follows:

Comfort:
This comes from the homely setting of the room. The furnishings, such as the bed, baby’s cradle, hanging clothes on the wall and the look on the woman’s face enhance the feeling of comfort. The security which a child’s cradle by its mother depicts is important here. She could have chosen to be anywhere else, instead she decides to stay by her child. The dog in the picture turns his head at her expectantly, as if wanting the same kindness she is showing her baby. Therefore it can be said that she is “a woman who cares and provides with comfort”.

Mystery:
The element of mystery is created in this painting by the third visible figure, the young girl by the door way. She has her head turned away and we cannot see her expressions. We do not know what she is thinking; we do not know if she is longing to go out and embrace the freedom of the outside world, we do not know why she is not beside the lady. We can only guess her intentions. Therefore to us she appears mysterious.

Light:
The soft play of light is an important aspect of this painting. Light is seen coming through the high set window on the wall opposite the woman. It illuminates the surroundings without causing the lady to be blinded by its intensity, therefore the element of comfort remains.

Light comes through the door where the child is standing, it tells us that outside it is a bright and sunny day. But it hides the child’s face from us, therefore we know almost nothing about her.

Light however, gives a unique 3D spatial quality to this 2D painting. Through its shadows and dimness we understand the silhouettes of the spaces, the crevices and the corners better. Light also reflects the caring nature of the woman’s face and upholds her softness, thereby giving character to the figures in the room.

From my above study, I have concluded my narrative to be “A light filled space for the comfort of a caring mother” and have decided to design accordingly.