In the 1920s these previously unrelated paintings were purchased by railroad magnate/art collector Henry Huntington and hung opposite one another in a wing of his California estate. As my friend Mali once told me, there's no accounting for taste, and so it was that this pairing fired the collective imagination of the American public. Called the "Romeo & Juliet of Rococo portraiture" their legacy was ensured and can now be found in many varieties of posters, coasters, and other fine art reproductions.
Also at this time in history, the previous tradition of dressing boys in pink (seen as strong & passionate) and girls in blue (seen as meek & demure) was bucked for what we know now -- girls in pink, boys in blue. Some conjecture a connection between this trend reversal and the popularity of the aforementioned couple.
The color key to the paint-by-number versions of these famous paintings will feature numbers correlating not to specific colors but to gendered adjectives. What color is dainty anyway? And, why can't boys wear pink without catching grief, even though they used to be expected to wear it? Visitors to my show are invited to help fill in these paintings based on their own decisions about what colors belong to which adjectives.
Photos yet to come will show the secondary portion of this show, which is a series of knit beards & frilly skirts that are, of course, available for visitors to wear while they paint or pirouette. Whichever.
Boys & Girls by Number
Arts Iowa City Gallery
103 E College St (in the ped mall)
Reception: Saturday, May 10th, 6-8pm
Gallery Hours: May 3rd - May 24th
Tues-Fri, 6-8pm
Sat, 2-4pm
