It is amazing how a painting of an interior tells you so much about the era it was created in. Furniture style, decoration, colour combinations are just a few elements to look at that give the viewer an indication of lifestyle, social status and personal taste regarding how people decorated their houses in the past as well as today.
One of the first names that comes to mind when thinking of paintings of interiors is Henri Matisse and paintings like Woman Reading, The Maid, Interior at Collioure or the Red Room capture not just décor elements specific to his era, but class divisions and pass time activities too.
In today’s art, paintings of interiors capture decoration styles, restaurants, cafes and current activities in a variety of styles and approaches, from surreal and digital to naive and humorous. “My most recent body of work has ventured into the figurative, with subject matter ranging from humorous domestic scenes, quirky consumerism to darker visions of childhood boogiemen” says Victoria Stanway whose artwork captures not just home interiors but shops, beauty salons and gyms.
Hung on a wall, an interior painting could act as a mirror reflecting a different yet familiar world while inviting the viewer into a cosy, intimate or public space full of mysteries and delights.
