The Art Of Wine
/One of history's greatest pairings? Wine and art. They go together like Cabernet and steak. In fact, not just wine but drinking culture as a whole has been a prominent feature of some of the greatest artworks of our time. In the Art of Wine, we look at some of these artworks and their significance to us, the drinking class.
Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children - Auguste Renoir
Want to know another great pairing? Parenting and wine. Kids just say and do the darnedest things don't they? This week we are featuring a blog cross over with Amanda from the blog Kids and Cabernet and what better time to discuss this beautiful painting by Renoir? As we all know, kids are the greatest gift in the world, but they can also make you throw your hands up and go in search for something to take the edge off. We'll take a look at what's going on in this painting from Renoir's view, and we'll view it through the modern lens of the parent drinking class.
The Characters
History tells us that this painting was commissioned in 1878, by Marguerite Charpentier to give "poetry to an elegant home and the beautiful dresses of our time." Located in the Japanese tea room of her Parisian townhouse, Madame Charpentier is seated next to her two children Paul and Georgette along with the family dog. Let's be honest though. This could perfectly encapsulate any modern view into the home of a stay at home parent with two rambunctious kids. Let's take a deeper look.
Madame Marguerite Charpentier was the wife of a well-to-do and well connected publisher. She loved to open her home and throw lavish parties that were impeccably planned. She also hosted elite literary salons attended by the top authors of the day. She reminds me very much of the modern stay at home parent. Just because she is a parent two times over doesn't mean she has lost an ounce of her grace and charm. She could just as easily be out being the socialite that she was before but isn't this where she'd rather be?
I love the scene too. She has everyone dressed up, has Renoir over to do a portrait and her daughter decides it's a good time to ride the family dog. Classic. I think the look on her face says it all. About ready for a glass of wine? I think so.
Next we have the children. Okay, first and foremost let's just get this out of the way now. You thought that was two girls on that couch didn't you? Whelp. It's not. The child on the right is Paul, Madame Charpentier's three year old son. His hair is uncut and he is wearing a dress due to the style of the day. You know, sometimes kids just want to dress themselves right? So he wore a matching dress for the family portrait because he wanted to match his sister, who coincidentally, is sitting on the family dog. I tell ya, kids do the darnedest things. But that's why we love them so much. It's also why I'll have that glass of wine now please.
The Venue
What? Your house doesn't have a Japanese tea room? Mine doesn't either. Let's pretend that it's the modern family living room. You are trying to get your kids to sit still and behave for two minutes but instead one is riding the dog. Sounds like a fairly common occurrence in parenting. I think it explains that look on her face quite well and also why there is a carafe of wine just over her left shoulder. The living room is often the drinking establishment of choice for those with young children because going out is not really practical sometimes. Like Madame Charpentier though, we don't have to avoid the finer things in life just because we're home. In fact drinking a nice bottle of wine at home without the markup or corkage fee may just be the best place to do it.
The Drinking Class
Why does this painting so well represent the drinking class? A few years before this painting Madame Charpentier was a woman about town. She was attending all the parties and social events she could fit into her calendar. Now, she is trying to prevent her daughter from riding the dog around the house like it was a horse. The suburbs are a necessary step for those of us that want to have children, but that doesn't mean our minds ever really leave the city or the experiences we had in our youth. You get to take that stuff with you into parenthood. You can see it in her impeccable sense of fashion and home decor. But that's just half of it, this painting shows us more. It shows us the best is yet to come by shining a spotlight on the real joys of parenting. If Madame Charpentier is like any mother I know, she will steal a few private moments later to giggle about what her kids did that day and wouldn't trade a moment of it for the world. She truly is a woman who has it all, style, class, a sense of self, and adorable kids. She and all the parents like her are first-rate members of the drinking class.