Judith Robichaud

The other night I went to the member’s preview at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for the “Americans in Paris” exhibit featuring works of art spanning 1860 - 1900. The exhibit focuses on American artists who went to Paris to escape the turmoil of the Civil War, or were perhaps captivated by the allure of the bohemian artist’s life in the City of Lights. Great artists such as Whistler, Sargent, Cassat and Hassam are heavily featured among others who were new to me like Cecilia Beaux. By now you are probably wondering what does this thread have to do with user-centered design, right? Well, it doesn’t have to do with that as much as it has to do with experience design. I am writing to comment about the how “well-curated” this exhibit was in capturing a magical time and space by recreating an experience with the thematic use of light, color and organization.

In Paris
Immediately upon entry to the exhibit, the visitor is greeted with the sites of Paris circa 1860. A large map of Paris takes up a whole wall to set the theme. The paintings are of Paris street scenes such as the flower markets, cafes, the Luxembourg Gardens et al. The colors are vibrant and the city almost comes to life save the aromas of patisseries and the bustling city sounds. From this room, you enter a small hallway with portraits of artists living as bohemians or “flaneurs” from that period. This sets the tone for the lifestyle that the Americans abroad were seeking.

The Salon
From the streets of Paris to the characters that comprised the art scene, you enter a gallery space much like the galleries that many of these painting were shown. The focus of the room is Arrangement in Black and Grey, AKA “Whistler’s mother”, as the rest of the room follows suit with subtle lighting and earth-toned walls. On the opposite wall is Whistler’s “Girl in White”. The room has other fine masterpieces but they seem to fade away by the anchoring of the two Whistlers which have a magnetism of their own. From this gallery we enter another salon with rejects from the traditional art salons known as the Salon des Refuses, which is distinguished by its Bordeaux colored walls and a large velvet bench. This room is anchored with a couple of stunning Sargent portraits, including Madame X. This room has a rich, sensuous and somewhat lurid feel as the unnaturally pale skin of Madame X competes with Eakin’s moribund Christ on the cross, showing more skin than a red light district.

The Studio
The studio is a transition room between the Salon and the interior scenes, which is small and a bit cramped as any artist’s atelier might be. The walls are painted an eggshell white while the lighting is brighter than the previous rooms. The images include paintings of artists painting a model and portraits of artist who painted fellow artists. This room gives you the feeling of what it might be like to work as an artist and hang around other artists, it makes me wish I were born in another time.

Home life
From the studio we enter indoors with paintings of interior scenes such as home life with tea and family. The walls are a dark blue which lends itself to a “closed-in” feeling. This room features the famous Boit sisters by Sargent that displays magnificently amongst the many Cassat portraits of domestic life.

The countryside
The countryside gallery is brightly lit while the walls are painted a light cream color. Walking from the darkness of the indoor scenes into this bright room truly makes you feel as if you have stepped outside–especially when you are surrounded with sunny landscapes filled with rolling meadows and seascapes.

Back home

The transition back home is gentle as the room follows the same color scheme and lighting as the French countryside gallery. The only thing different is that the paintings are of uniquely American scenes through the lens of what the artists learned while abroad such as Childe Hassam’s “Allies Day” of flags waving along Fifth Avenue. After having been to Paris and back already this year, this recent museum trip gave me that experience once again, which is precisely the show’s intention, sans the murmur of accordion street music and the air thick with Gauloise smoke.