Art Wednesday

Bettina Rheims
April 24, Paris
2000
“It Was So Hot…”

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I love the lighting in this picture. It might be the night time, it might be a windowless room, but it helps solidify the confining nature of the subject.

I also love the usage of shadow in this piece. The dark mass behind the main figure seems to be every bit as alive as the woman and might pop off the wall and have a life of its own. The lamp shadow on the right side reads as a giant arrow pointing up toward the sky and down toward the earth, giving me the impression that one must choose what direction to take in life.

I feel that the woman is a light or “lamp”; breaking up the pattern around her, she glows with beauty and question.

What is with the telephone on the table? Why is her posture slightly bent to the left, leading the eye away from the lamp and telephone? Why is she in the corner? What does the look on her face mean? Is she in love? How many people are in the room? Is she alone? Why is she taking her clothes off? Hmmmmmm…