Video není dostupné.
Omlouváme se.

Tracy Chevalier: Finding the story inside the painting

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 15. 08. 2024
  • www.ted.com When Tracy Chevalier looks at paintings, she imagines the stories behind them: How did the painter meet his model? What would explain that look in her eye? Why is that man ... blushing? She shares three stories inspired by portraits, including the one that led to her best-selling novel "Girl With a Pearl Earring."
    TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/tra...
    If you have questions or comments about this or other TED videos, please go to support.ted.com

Komentáře • 238

  • @YeshouaNitzhareth
    @YeshouaNitzhareth Před 7 lety +81

    it's true you never tire to look in Girl with a Pearl Earring's eyes and wonder....I can see desire..a little bit of fear...humbleness and the fresh glance that only youth can have.

  • @shinigami01
    @shinigami01 Před 11 lety +58

    Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier was the first real novel I read at grade 5. It's what drew me into the amazing world of literature, and I read the novel a number of times. I stole it from my school library, in fact. My guilt has since then left me to donate every other book I go through to the elementary school library, though many are turned back now since they are too mature. Still, Tracy Chevalier and her book changed my life, I hope one day she might read one of my own novels.

  • @VMLM3
    @VMLM3 Před 12 lety +22

    I've started doing this in galleries too. When you get right down to it, the only way to appreciate a painting is through your own experience. And the paintings you find most interesting are probably those that resound the most with your ideas, your history, your state of mind, etc.

  • @RoyaMoyaSoya
    @RoyaMoyaSoya Před 12 lety +10

    I absolutely loved how seeing a creative mind works when viewing something that I would merely look at and think 'oh, pretty.'

  • @jacobw..6788
    @jacobw..6788 Před 2 lety +7

    I loved the book. Feeling touched by the ending, ugh, love how writers play with the feelings

    • @ouui
      @ouui Před 3 měsíci

      Me too!! And she wrote that herself omg amazing

  • @gim10003
    @gim10003 Před 7 lety +47

    This doesn't negate her point about extracting stories from paintings, but, you can't assume that the model is actually wearing the expression seen in the painting. The painter has the power to make the model appear to be blushing or opening her mouth, etc. regardless of the model's actual expression. So, while you might be able to draw conclusions about a model's state of mind and the story behind it from a photograph, you are on shakier ground with a painting where the painter might be trying to tell his/her own story.

  • @cbawt
    @cbawt Před 12 lety +17

    Impressive how much people dislike this talk, i found it quite nice actually!

  • @slancaster2255
    @slancaster2255 Před 10 lety +12

    I love the way she reads the story inside the painting...I love to do the same...except with all art...and life is art.

  • @emerald764
    @emerald764 Před 11 lety +44

    Really interesting talk. The girl with a pearl is such a striking painting, far better than the Mona Lisa in my opinion. I like Tracy's way of looking at paintings but I think she's reading too much into the Elizabethan painting. It was common for people to be painted with rosy cheeks as a sign of good health.

  • @hychilloutman
    @hychilloutman Před 12 lety +65

    Her imagination is beautiful.

  • @ferdiehernandez
    @ferdiehernandez Před 12 lety +9

    This is a great insight on writing fiction. Thank you for the generosity.

  • @9catlover
    @9catlover Před 10 lety +24

    I love this because we shouldn't move from things that capture our attention, but study it 😊

  • @ajamerlan
    @ajamerlan Před 12 lety +1

    Most people are missing the point. These aren't supposed to be the actual stories behind the paintings, but her own subjective interpretation of what they could mean. This is just a guide on how be more observant and how to connect deeper with paintings.

  • @Krnphy
    @Krnphy Před 12 lety +3

    I loved the stories, the interpretations. The story behind a portrait or a painting is its essence. And Tracy propels me to think a little more.

  • @walkabout16
    @walkabout16 Před 5 měsíci

    In Tracy Chevalier's hands, a tale unfolds,
    Of art and passion, in stories untold.
    She finds the story inside the painting's frame,
    And breathes life into characters, without shame.
    With brush strokes bold, she paints the scene,
    Of Vermeer's girl, in shades serene.
    Through Chevalier's eyes, we see her plight,
    A maid's journey, in the soft candlelight.
    She delves into history, with meticulous care,
    To uncover the truth, hidden there.
    In 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', she finds,
    The essence of life, in the artist's mind.
    With words that dance, like colors on a canvas,
    Chevalier weaves a tale, both delicate and grandiose.
    Of love and longing, in a world gone by,
    Where art and emotion, forever lie.
    So let us follow Chevalier's lead,
    And journey through paintings, with hearts that bleed.
    For in the story inside the painting, we find,
    The beauty of life, in body and mind.

  • @VLicious8704
    @VLicious8704 Před 12 lety +2

    I think having some fiction along with your favorite pieces of art is a great way to enjoy the art in the first place. I'm not a highbrow when it comes to art, but I don't think everyone should be. I think there's room in the world for precise art appreciation as well as exuberant art appreciation. Her approach to galleries as an experience was really helpful for someone like me who wants to give herself permission to ENJOY art instead of feeling guilty for not being "sophisticated" about it.

  • @SimpleTrax
    @SimpleTrax Před 8 lety +6

    I have always done this subconsiously, never thought about it. The biggest problem with galleries today is that they are quite empty, big white rooms, large floors, it gives psychological effect of being in the desert. Paintings have frames, but are exposed on a WHITE bright wall. Some tapestry or some other colour would not hurt. Other problem is that most modern oil paintings are reliefs, they are 3d forms, pain thas phsical depth. So it seems only natural to me that I want to touch it, and rightfully so I do this.

  • @ho2cultcha
    @ho2cultcha Před 12 lety +8

    good art invites us to make up all we want to about it. a talented and intuitive art connoisseur is able to interpret lots into a painting and we recognize what is being interpreted on a certain level and it makes sense to us. she does this beautifully. you can ignore the idiots who are irritated by this. they have probably never appreciated artwork on a deep level. bravo! great ted video!

  • @ihaventgrownaspine9994
    @ihaventgrownaspine9994 Před 2 lety +1

    I love the last story

  • @ekawidodo4309
    @ekawidodo4309 Před 7 lety +30

    the story she read was simply sweet ... and sad at the same time. is it just me or ?

  • @ho2cultcha
    @ho2cultcha Před 12 lety +2

    i'd argue w/ that. i'd say the ones i appreciate the most are those which force me to see beyond my tiny little, narrow experience and join the parade of experiences which is the history of humankind.

  • @michaelbyrd7883
    @michaelbyrd7883 Před rokem +1

    Generally, when I approach an artist and their art, I like the backstory of the artist don't you? Who they are, when they were born, where from, what motivated them, what influenced them. The understanding of them brings their art so much more alive. Were they a good or bad person, were they rich or poor, were they religious, were they high sexualized, mentally ill, a family man, a court painter, portrait, landscape? Did they paint for money, prestige, to make sense of a chaotic world, to impress? Usually after that the painters that we all know and are recognized as the most famous or as the best is because they are just that. The one's that are more famous is because they are better painters more skilled more talented. Same with literature and sports. Unlike music, popularity in the fine arts is decided by adults and not children. Of course adults are more mature, experienced, introspective and discerning. In the fine arts you can paint or you cannot there's not any studio trickery or electronics or collaboration. A painter can be a beautiful well kept person or a fat slob that is imbued with loads of talents and paints hours a day. You'll very rarely see a great artist spending his/her time with a lesser artist to paint other then just as a friend. The student very rarely can show technique to the teacher there are exceptions. Try it next time you go to a museum or gallery, see which artist draws your eye and makes you realize why they are so well known. Look at a Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, Klimt, Munch, Monet, Delacroix you'll see what I mean.

  • @Sakura-zu4rz
    @Sakura-zu4rz Před 4 lety

    I like I love Vermeer! What soft and lovely light he painted. The light was almost always daylight from a window on one side of the painting. Blue and Yellow, the idea of color valance and complementary colors was not introduced until the 18 century, good contrast pattern of balance of blue and yellow, reflection, and illusion!

  • @vivianedepaula693
    @vivianedepaula693 Před 5 lety +4

    As for me I can safely say that I went twice to the Van Gogh museum and the last thing I thought was about coffee 😉
    His paintings are so great, my number one artist 🔝✌🏽🏆

    • @nazarafgan4065
      @nazarafgan4065 Před 4 lety

      نرگس

    • @lorettabertoli3736
      @lorettabertoli3736 Před 2 lety

      I went once to the Van Gogh Museum and since I love him I definitely didn't think about coffee or food, I usually don't when I see beautiful things. But she definitely has a point, we are bound to appreciate some works of art more than others so we should stop more in front of works that resonate more to us and not feel guilty about skipping / merely looking at other works that don't captivate us.

  • @Chasstful
    @Chasstful Před 6 lety +2

    What a fantastic story! Great novel and film as well.

  • @caspermilquetoast411
    @caspermilquetoast411 Před 7 lety +1

    Girl with a Pearl Earring is what we call the painting today,
    which is a tronie and was meant to display for prospective
    buyers the skill of the painter himself. An advertisement.
    But this painting shows signs that this was an actual person
    who sat for this and not a made up design by Vermeer, who
    often used a camera obscura to aid in his photographic effect.
    He seemed to have been fascinated by reproducing in color
    the images projected onto his canvas, in effect becoming
    part of an early human photographic process.
    As for this painting, he may have just had the person sit
    for it in stages normally and did not use the camera obscura.
    I always thought Tracy Chevalier was an old man.

  • @sofiatrujillo4404
    @sofiatrujillo4404 Před 3 lety +1

    Gosh the last story, I almost cried

  • @ashfaqali5083
    @ashfaqali5083 Před 4 lety +1

    An amazing thought process.

  • @Durakken
    @Durakken Před 12 lety +2

    I tend to agree with this person. Largely because I hate when people say things blatantly obvious as if it were a novel idea. Not to mention that she derives a conclusion from a problem that only an egotistical person has and tries to make it sound like her conclusion is a good one when the problem is that perhaps if you went to an art gallery more often you wouldn't have the problem of having to look at every painting in one go.

  • @flambert3369
    @flambert3369 Před 5 lety

    For some reson when she said about what the girl is feeling i suddenly i thought that she was discuss and her face started moving to a discuss face i CANT make her face turn in to a sad or a happy face
    WHAT A SKILLED PAINTER

  • @annetekoul
    @annetekoul Před 7 lety +3

    I loved the book which is a look to Vermeer's greatest and most enigmatic painting

  • @funkyboodah
    @funkyboodah Před 12 lety

    The hate that ppl are leaving as comments is a little absurd. It's a new way of looking at things, that's the point of TED! Not being close minded idiots!

  • @mischabe3
    @mischabe3 Před 6 lety +7

    To be honest, I would only stop at Girl With Pearl darling.

  • @davidstevens7018
    @davidstevens7018 Před 4 lety

    Tracy wants to be thankful she lives in the 21C ; 200 years back the R.A. Used to just hang them on the wall next to each other imagine the confusion ; now the really special or popular paintings are sometimes given a whole room to themselves!!

  • @pfranks44
    @pfranks44 Před 12 lety +1

    well you have to see that this is her own artwork to do this and it helps to try and appreciate it a little

  • @KokoRicky
    @KokoRicky Před 12 lety +4

    Kind of interesting, but the end I was kind of mentally rolling my eyes. Started to sound like softcore novels women get from the local library.

  • @menoexist3971
    @menoexist3971 Před rokem

    This 3 rd story…. It’s just… wow

  • @KamalikaMukherjee81
    @KamalikaMukherjee81 Před 6 lety

    The last story though....I may be tearing up a bit!

  • @kiukiu279
    @kiukiu279 Před 12 lety

    those who dislike may be those who think their arts are superior and worth seeing. Heh, give me a break. I did what she does in any gallery. As a painter, my first and foremost aim is to convey my topic well in my pieces, not whether the audience likes it or not. I don't care if there are few or many viewers, but if there is any, I want them to feel the strong emotions I want to express. If they don't like what they see, meh, good for them.

  • @rebeccagrahovac5408
    @rebeccagrahovac5408 Před 2 lety

    I read the book and love it & the painting

  • @nerd_alert927
    @nerd_alert927 Před 4 lety

    The Lady and the Unicorn is also a great book by her. The story is based on the tapestries and their making.

  • @kimmy2631
    @kimmy2631 Před rokem

    Loved this talk!

  • @sikViduser
    @sikViduser Před 12 lety

    I stand by my analogy as it was intended to show how making up a story distorts the perception of the original content while maintaining the aspects you may favor, but a better analogy may be, " I really like this song. Nobody knows how or when the artist wrote it. He must've wrote it while in an airplane because he references airplanes in it"

  • @sikViduser
    @sikViduser Před 12 lety +3

    It is subjective in that you can describe what it means to you and how experiencing art relates to you personally, but making up a story surround a possible history for how the painting is made is not the same level of interpretation or subjectivity. That is making a claim towards fact, which can be dismissed or proven wrong. The truth is nobody knows who the girl is or the circumstances in which the painting was made, but a lack of information in any given topic is not an invitation to lie

  • @big_tesco_seven2261
    @big_tesco_seven2261 Před 4 lety +1

    I'm very sad my teacher is making me watch this for homework

  • @rowenab.747
    @rowenab.747 Před 5 lety

    this story for the Girl with the Pearl.Earring was from the book.and the movie adaptation starring Scarlet Johansson.

  • @samsand1295
    @samsand1295 Před 7 lety +17

    she speaks like female christian bale

  • @Eirwyn
    @Eirwyn Před 12 lety +1

    What is wrong with people speculating pictures? Paintings are made FOR you to view, speculate, and critique. What is so wrong about what she is doing?

  • @whatsupbudbud
    @whatsupbudbud Před rokem

    This talk actually provoked in me the idea to go to an art gallery, how about that.

  • @blakedizon581
    @blakedizon581 Před 12 lety +1

    everyone's different. what attracts and interests us are different.

  • @zyrusjohncatilo3707
    @zyrusjohncatilo3707 Před 3 lety

    That first one was great.

  • @4kuj1n
    @4kuj1n Před 12 lety +1

    i wish i could explain it any better than ajamerlan, but i can only urge you to read the comment again, and make a deeper connection with it to understand it. Maybe you will find this new experience useful with paintings, too.

  • @Crispy_Bee
    @Crispy_Bee Před 12 lety

    I was just giving you advice, you can take it or leave it.
    Just because more people click on the "like" button doesn't mean anything.

  • @khaleesidove1218
    @khaleesidove1218 Před 6 lety

    That was absolutely beautiful! 💕💕💕💕

  • @VMLM3
    @VMLM3 Před 12 lety

    True, but how we are affected by a painting depends on our experience. On our aesthetic values, our principles, our fears, etc.
    The only way in which I can experience the expansion of my point of view through a painting is if I find it interesting first. If I'm not interested, I'll simply walk by. There has to be something familiar or intriguing to ME in it which lures me to observe it more closely.

  • @corneliusofdark
    @corneliusofdark Před 11 lety +15

    The Girl With a Pearl Earring...is Lady Gaga.

  • @hafsahameedali2062
    @hafsahameedali2062 Před 5 lety

    The book was amazing

  • @flambert3369
    @flambert3369 Před 5 lety +1

    Wow the stage was so small back then

  • @mohmedali1396
    @mohmedali1396 Před 7 lety

    Good morning my friends in CZcams, Google ..the words does not value your great efforts to educate people and make them happy..I'm one of them every day I educate new something you have applied us..thanks thanks thanks..

  • @ajamerlan
    @ajamerlan Před 12 lety

    That's the problem with most Ted viewers; they tend to take what's being presented as it is, instead of trying to be guided by it and look past it.

  • @slaughtz
    @slaughtz Před 12 lety

    I liked every story but the last one.

  • @maikeru01
    @maikeru01 Před 12 lety

    oh wait so youre saying art is subjective? and everyone isn't going to be interested by every painting? holy shit, that's so profound bro. never thought of that. wtf? this was a real ted talk?

  • @27clia
    @27clia Před 12 lety

    Better watch the movie of "The Girl With a Pearl Earring." You'll get a better context of Vermeer. Just my opinion.

  • @fkfkfkfh
    @fkfkfkfh Před 8 lety +28

    i like her to read me a book:-)

  • @clumpy100
    @clumpy100 Před 12 lety

    when i get gallery fatigue i tailgate; right there on the spot. bust out the chairs, weber grill, keggers, boom boxes, van gogh face painting gone wrong (i'm a fan), football game, vuvuzela warmups ... works best on the museum free days for the great unwashed. tip: be sure to get your parking validated before you begin.

  • @NerdyLiberal
    @NerdyLiberal Před 12 lety

    I usually hate these artsy ones but this one was interesting.

  • @ajamerlan
    @ajamerlan Před 12 lety

    She could. But she never claimed that these were the actual stories in the first place. She did some research, but since most of the facts were never put on record, she can always inject her own interpretation. In this case, her ideas are subjective, but her presentation was executed well.

  • @ZachLowry
    @ZachLowry Před 12 lety

    Very cool. Thank you.

  • @sikViduser
    @sikViduser Před 12 lety +5

    That doesn't make any sense. Making up arbitrary stories about paintings doesn't connect you more to it, it deviates you from it. That's like saying, "I don't like the lyrics to this song so I'm going to make up my own so I can enjoy it better".

    • @RedKoshimaki05
      @RedKoshimaki05 Před 4 měsíci

      There are a lot of people that change the lyrics or the armonies of a song to enjoy it better. It's creativity stimulated by a creation. I don't see why to stigmatize it.

  • @kianamajidzadeh470
    @kianamajidzadeh470 Před 6 lety

    The story she read was amazing. Does anyone know which book was it from?

    • @toriphillips7045
      @toriphillips7045 Před 4 lety

      The book is called Imagined Lives: Portraits of Unknown People. You might be able to buy it from Barnes and Noble or the actual Portrait Gallery in London.

  • @NawidN
    @NawidN Před 12 lety

    The key to that is to make things up on a whim, using various aspects of the given painting.
    I don't see the point, though. What does someone gain by doing this?

  • @pyromohanzed
    @pyromohanzed Před 12 lety

    there's a Nord Stage synth in the background on the stage

  • @MrKaleidoscoPics
    @MrKaleidoscoPics Před 12 lety

    I realize that all of this is speculation and wishful thinking, but I must say I enjoy thinking in the way she suggests, trying to find a story beneath a painting. The thing Ms. Chevalier does wrong is talk about it like its a fact...

  • @socio1013
    @socio1013 Před 10 lety

    very informative !

  • @AcidbrainwashEffect
    @AcidbrainwashEffect Před 12 lety

    Brilliant.

  • @ince55ant
    @ince55ant Před 12 lety

    I love art gallaries. I've been to many great gallaries around europe, one of the best things I've noticed in them is the availability of protable devices to have audio explainations of the ACTUAL stories (they cost money but if you payed for the travel...). Personally, I prefer to critically deduce as much from paintings from the facts that i know (thats my fun) but just rambling tripe to yourself seems to have no value. Iif beautiful art makes you tired, you're probably not that into art.

  • @dufusrunescape
    @dufusrunescape Před 12 lety +1

    pearl earing: its the pain of holding that pose for several days. "i'm cramping, igot a charlie horse in my neck, i can't breath, i need a pop tart.

  • @user-cy4cd7io6z
    @user-cy4cd7io6z Před 9 lety +1

    Good story!)

  • @swetshah
    @swetshah Před 12 lety

    a new perspective to everything...

  • @danwlfn
    @danwlfn Před 12 lety

    It's same as everyone see movie and feel fun about different things^^

  • @KeatonIsFTW
    @KeatonIsFTW Před 12 lety +2

    Everything stops her in her tracks.

  • @retsiembrU
    @retsiembrU Před 10 lety +1

    its painted in 1665 and infact she is just a fantasy of Vermeer a role model for his study painting faces

  • @supawooky
    @supawooky Před 12 lety

    I always felt like I am a terrible person for not being able to waist hours starring at pictures, but now I can go for days. And I don't even have to care about the artist's intentions, I just make sh** up.

  • @jev2185
    @jev2185 Před 12 lety

    The girl with the pearl earring is Scarlett Johansson, the second kid is Napoleon and the last guy is Napoleon's cousin. I can make up my own stories too. Art is whatever you interpret. I find it amazing that this women gets away with her speculations in a Ted talk. Talk about BS at it's highest form.

  • @slancaster2255
    @slancaster2255 Před 10 lety +2

    Wow!..I dig this shit...deep.

  • @RangKlos
    @RangKlos Před 7 lety

    It's one way one can appreciate a great piece of art but I am not sure I agree with it.

  • @pikiwiki
    @pikiwiki Před 12 lety

    I only watched until she got tired and wanted some coffee and got tired after watching all those paintings. After that, I couldn't identify.

  • @yashserious9596
    @yashserious9596 Před 2 lety

    my english teacher sent here.

  • @Happy_HIbiscus
    @Happy_HIbiscus Před 3 lety

    dude, this is cool

  • @jamesdc60
    @jamesdc60 Před 12 lety

    I've never experienced this "affliction".

  • @pyromohanzed
    @pyromohanzed Před 12 lety

    by taking the pragmatic-correspondance knowledge from the paintings and shoving it up my snatch vertically

  • @Durakken
    @Durakken Před 12 lety

    by this person i mean photographer85. Not the woman in the video.

  • @SAsgarters
    @SAsgarters Před 12 lety +1

    This is something you'd do at the pub, with real people instead of paintings.

  • @SKEptic-mg2dd
    @SKEptic-mg2dd Před 4 lety

    I did the "pass through first to see what I really want to study" method at the Kimball Museum in Forth Worth when they had a show on the impressionists. The kicked me out.

    • @mikesmyth8515
      @mikesmyth8515 Před 3 lety

      why?

    • @SKEptic-mg2dd
      @SKEptic-mg2dd Před 3 lety

      @@mikesmyth8515 Their rule was that if you wanted to see the exhibition a second time you needed to go out the front door and get at the end of the line. Not a terrible rule but not one that should have been kept secret either.

  • @WalterTonetto
    @WalterTonetto Před 12 lety

    Why are you clowns sitting in judgment of someone who has written a fine book? Oh, so you never speculate? Anytime we look at someone or anything, we speculate ... for the most part .. and Chevalier is providing some interesting insights. Kudos to her ... and thumbs down to all you judgmental couch-potatoes!

  • @CvnDqnrU
    @CvnDqnrU Před 12 lety

    It's a wonderful exercise on deduction and creativity. I'm sorry for who can't find this very useful.

  • @PatThePhat1
    @PatThePhat1 Před 12 lety

    I think she needed to make that more clear then if that is what she was trying to say, ted talks are about ideas, she should have explain her ideas in more detail.

  • @patrickfigari785
    @patrickfigari785 Před 4 lety

    Lire aussi son roman : "La Dame à la Licorne" ..

  • @WeightLossLady
    @WeightLossLady Před 12 lety

    Well I liked the talk even if I didn't find it life-changing.

  • @winonawu8260
    @winonawu8260 Před 7 lety +2

    Did she mean that the man in the last painting is gay?