For this week’s installment, and with Halloween lurking around the corner, it seemed like it might be fun to take a look at something that’s old and creepy, yet timeless and fun. With that in mind, I was reminded of Seymour Joseph Guy’s “Story of Golden Locks” on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC which captures the creepy with a bit of a smirking aside.
Aside from the masterful photo realism, what sets Seymour Joseph Guy’s “Story of Golden Locks” apart is his ability to juggle drama. For instance, we have the older sister whom is in the midst of telling the scariest part of the story — with hand raised, book open, and menacing shadow cast on the wall… we get the sense that “the telling” is more of a performance. Also, with the little brothers cowering under the covers and absent minded terror written on their faces — we have a complete image not only of Guy’s subject, but also a flashback to our own childhood (especially if we weren’t an only child).
How many siblings can recall either “frightening” or being “frightened by” a brother or sister?
Seymour Joseph Guy’s painting is masterful not only due to how he depicts his subject with photo-realistic accuracy, but because the details he’s chosen to convey are the details capable of conjuring up images that aren’t even in the picture.
Some additional points of interest/techniques worthy of note are his use of candle-style backlighting, what is very likely a dark & stormy night, and the creepy faceless rag doll slumped on the chair. It may also be hard to see, but in terms of the point in the story (re: Golden Locks and the 3 Bears)… close examination will reveal this is the part where Golden Locks (Goldilocks) takes flight as the bears grab at her from the house.
|| SEYMOUR JOSEPH GUY’S “STORY OF GOLDEN LOCKS”
