Exploring domestic spaces in painting

The Blind Fiddler 1806 Sir David Wilkie 1785-1841 Presented by Sir George Beaumont Bt 1826 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N00099

Description – 

In this early work by Scottish-born David Wilkie an itinerant fiddler is playing for a humble country family. Wilkie focuses on the listeners’ different expressions. Only two people seem to respond to the music: the baby and the boy on the right, who is imitating the fiddler by playing the bellows.

A closer look, starting from the left to the right, reveals what looks like a kitchen on the ground floor and an exit to the surface. The interior of the house is in very poor condition and is connected to the door by a wooden climbing ladder.The door and frame are also wooden.
Above the door there is a beam-like structure, perhaps to support the roof. However, it is easy to see that the image depicts more of a triangular shaped pointed roof. It is also supported by a structure made of wood.
The middle section looks like a large closet with a cupboard next to it and a shelf in the middle section for cooking utensils. The lower part is used to make a fire.
The space to the right is separated by a vertical cupboard, which forms a small operating area near the inside. This is because the picture shows bowls and shelves at the right height for people. On top of the cupboard are piles of various miscellaneous items from this country home.
The poverty of the family can be made clearer by the two wooden chairs. The one normally used to prepare meals is a small bench without a backrest. The chair used to provide the violinist is a separate chair with carved marks and a backrest.

Q&A

1.Is this interior used to frame a drama, an action, an idea? How?

It seems to me that the interior of this space is depicted more like a scene used to show a scene. The small space, the piles of clutter, the wooden furniture that feels like it is on the verge of decay, and even the chairs provided for the guests, all speak volumes about the poverty and straits of the family. Through these subtle portrayals, the state of the family is depicted.
2.Is there a message? How is it conveyed?

When this picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy some critics thought the bust on the shelf represented a dissenting minister, and concluded that the family were nonconformists. The power of music to stir the passions of those supposedly suspicious of pleasure was thought to add to the painting’s subtlety.

3.Where is this moment set? Why has the painter selected this kind of interior to support the narrative?

I think it’s like a time in the evening when everyone is usually preparing dinner. Because the light is not very strong throughout the picture and there are people gathered around the wardrobe, it suggests that it is early evening. There are signs of ingredients being prepared in the bottom left corner of the image, suggesting that dinner was being prepared before the violinist arrived.
Perhaps it is this ‘out of place’ moment that captures the subtle changes in everyone present.


4.Consider how the artist has used colour, location, light, textures, props to direct the viewer.

David Wilkie uses less bright interior and exterior light to direct the viewer through this dark underground environment.
By having a front and centre view, the viewer can both see the interior and better portray the expressions of all the people in the room.
The artist has also detailed the furniture of the space – wooden cabinets and chairs – to allow for a more imaginative view of the family listening to music.
5.Do you think this a gendered space? How is this shown in the work?

Do you think this a gendered space? How is this shown in the work?

I think this could be considered a genderless space. Firstly, because the figures in the picture are a mixture of men, women and children. Even in this space where we all live together, there are no particularly feminine objects in the house, or decorations that take care of women’s lack of height or strength. Instead, almost all the heavy and miscellaneous objects are placed on top of the cupboards.