On the contrary: 'Dancing Girl with Castanets'

Fun lunchtime talk at the National Gallery on Renoir’s “Dancing Girl with Castanets”.

This talk pitched two regular speakers at the gallery against each other to talk for (Jo Rhymer) and against (Richard Stemp) the picture. It was a playful argument and in amongst the different discussion you learnt a lot about the picture, why is was painted, where is say in Renoir’s career and it’s possible symbolism. It also addressed whether taste should be part of looking at a picture art historically.

In the end I was firmly in Richard’s camp. I’ve always thought this picture, and its pair, where hideous. Although they make more sense now I know they were painted as decorative panels I do worry what colour the walls were to match the awful background colour. Note to Farrow and Ball, don’t try to reproduce that one!

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