#the surprise by antoine watteau

[diioonysus]

love + art

[olde-with-an-e]

Jean-Antoine Watteau

The Surprise

1718

oil on panel

[honeysunai]

Hostess| Kyoya Ootori x reader

Part six -  The Perfect Boyfriend List

Pairing : Kyoya Ootori x reader

General rating : Fluff, enemies to love vibes

Word count : 2k+

Summary: As only heir to your family you are bound to an arranged marriage with the third son of the powerful house Ootori. His cold behavior is only a mask for you to uncover when you stumble into music room number three.

A/N: I’m so sorry for the long wait and the short part. I have been through a lot these past few months especially with the quarter life crisis. I hope you’ve been all doing great. I promise that the wait will be worth it for the next few parts coming up (spoiler alert: some angst and some sprinkle of spice)

It took ten minutes before you had the guts to get out of the room. You took your sweet time to change into a cute silk pajama your mother made, you brushed your hair and even put perfume on before you left your room. He was waiting for you downstairs and you smiled when you descended the staircase as you saw him lost into a painting.

“Pilgrimage to Cythera, by Jean-Antoine Watteau. 1717. The real one is in Paris, but I have to admit it, it’s a rather convincing replica.” His head snapped to you as you made your way right next to him. “It’s the birthplace of Venus, but the real one has angels flying in the background for love and sensuality of the painting.”

“I didn’t know you were an art expert.” He was rather shocked by your talent. 

“You don’t know a lot of things about me, Kyoya.” You smile and so does he. “When I was younger, I traveled a lot with my mother and she took me to the most glorious art galleries and museums you could ever think of. I met some great artists and got to learn more about the making and the philosophy behind art. The irony is that I know too much about paintings and so on, but I can’t draw for the life of me.” You laugh and he chuckles at your confession.

“I could teach you if you’d like.” You look up to your side and he was already looking at you with sparks in his eyes, one you only saw when he was being competitive. “I am no Watteau or Rambrandt, but I manage just fine.”

“I’d love that! In return I could teach you about some history.” You giggle and he breathes loudly, content with your response. 

“I’d love nothing more.” He says and in his eyes, it felt like he was surprised by his own words. He suddenly starts walking towards one of the many corridors of the mansion and you follow him to stand by his side. 

“Why did you ask for me?”

“To check up on you.” 

“Like I told everyone multiple times today, I’m alright.” Your smile was slowly fading. “I’m tougher than I look.”

“Why didn’t you call for my help?” 

“I just dealt with Tamaki’s little tantrum about Haruhi being careless and all that blah blah blah, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about you.” You stopped in your tracks and you pinched the bridge of your nose in annoyance. 

“I’m fine. It’s not the first time I have to deal with rude assholes.”

“But one of them grabbed you–”

“I said I’m fine, Kyoya.” Now you were pissed off.  “I was trained to fight back those dipshits, I clearly wasn’t at the top of my class, but it helped me fend off my opponents long enough so security could come and get whoever tried to get in my way.” You took a step forward and looked up to meet his gaze. “I’m not afraid, I am not helpless and I am certainly not weak.” Your words were firm. He smirks as he looks down on you, but you see sadness in his eyes. “Are you okay?” He looked out the window and took a deep breath. You took his hand and tried to smile warmly at him. 

“I just need real vacations without all the trouble that we always seem to get ourselves into.” He admits and you giggle lightly. 

“We could go visit Seoul together for summer vacation. I could show you the best restaurants and secret spots I found over the years.” His smile was finally showing. “We could go just the two of us, so we don't bring all the trouble with us, but just enough so it stays interesting.” He chuckles but still looks in the distance. Thunder and rain still fills the silence in the night. You wonder if it would be a good time to ask him why he’s always shutting you out, why he’s so repulsed by a relationship with you, why he’s so good to you and then becomes a rude person– “Mori told me I was pretty today, even with all the bandages.” You snort and when he turns his head to meet your gaze you look away and start to walk again. “He said that it was a shame you couldn’t tell me I was.” A long deep sigh escape your lips

“Why?” It was quick and sharp. 

“Because he knows.” You simply answer. “I had high hopes that you would change your mind about this arranged marriage, but for weeks I’ve been disappointed with mixed signals…”

“Why do you want us to be a couple so much?” He sounded annoyed by your simple answer. 

“Wouldn’t it be better?” You said it as if it was obvious. “I thought that you enjoyed my company, my person, enough so that you and I could… maybe make this arrangement a little more real.”

“I can’t give you that, y/n.” He stopped in his tracks and sighs disappointed. “I can’t give you what you want.” Your smile faded and something inside of you broke a little. 

“Why not?” It sounded more like a plea. He doesn’t speak, he only gives you a sad look. He can’t even give you a made up excuse for why he doesn’t want to be with you. You swallow your tears and your pride. You straighten your back and become this cold proper persona you’ve always put up in front of everyone. “I see how it is, Kyoya. I apologize for trying to cross the line you put, it won’t happen again.” You walk past him trying to go back to your room, but his hand catches your wrist stopping you next to him. “We made it clear, I won’t ask anything from you other than a business relationship.” Your voice was shaking and you didn’t dare to look at him. “You told me you didn’t want a friendship and to start over but I pushed you and I’m sorry. I will still take part of my bargain and boost your little numbers and keep Haruhi’s secret if you were about to ask… I won’t be a problem to you anymore, I promise.”

“Y/n–” You walked out of his grip and slowly made your way to your bedroom. You hadn’t realized you were crying until a loud sob escaped your lips a few corridors away.

You tried to not make any more sound, keeping the sobs and sniffles inside, but you choke up on your own sadness. Damn it, Kyoya! Damn you! You were so angry and sad, after him, for not wanting you. And after yourself for believing he could ever want a relationship.

A soft creek echoes in the corridor and light shines through the dark. As if you needed any more attention right now…

“Are you okay?” Renge asks and you snort. The question of the hour. “Get in here.” She yanked you inside and made you lay on top of her bed sheet. She sat next to you as if she was your therapist. “What did he do?” “What do you mean?”

“You never cry unless it’s because of four-eyes.” She snorts and so do you. She’s right. You could’ve cried and panicked when you were cornered with dangerous strangers earlier, but you didn’t. But now you’re crying because Kyoya refused you.

“Do you cry in front of people, Renge?” Her ceiling was pearly white, but she put a poster of some video game character above her bed, internally you laughed. 

“No, not unless I’m comfortable or I’m too overwhelmed and can’t help it anymore.” She admits as she starts playing with your hair. 

“I think I got comfortable with Kyoya.” You let out a soft sob as you came to the realization.

“Is that such a bad thing?” She gestures to your tears.

“No, I’m not crying because of that.” You chuckle lightly. “I messed up.” You start. “We’ve been seeing each other everyday for the past few months and I thought that he started to actually like me, the real me… But I made a fool of myself… I thought we were on the same page, but I was in another library, I think.” Renge gives you a tissue and you dry your tears with it. 

“What’s so special about him that you let yourself be comfortable with him?” 

“I don’t know. He’s infuriating, aggravating, always trying to prove a point to annoy me… Always getting on my last nerve– But deep down, he’s caring–” You stop yourself. “I like the competition, the bickering and nonetheless I love that we bother each other… I love that he’s there, even if it’s to say something annoying or to hold my hand… He’s there…” You meant every word that you poured out to Renge. It wasn’t love, but it felt like it. You knew it couldn’t be love, true and simple love because Kyoya didn’t want to be yours, not even close as you wanted to be his. “I tried to force him into a real relationship he, oh so clearly, doesn’t want.” You started to cry again. 

“No you didn’t.” She sounded almost angry that you were thinking this way. 

“I– I just want to be enough for him, you know? I’m enough for his family, his stupid brothers, but I’m not enough for him.”

“You know what I think?” She tells you and you shrug. “Fuck him.” You snort. “Right? Fuck the guy, he’s not interested, fine, but make him regret ever messing with your feelings. You are enough! He clearly can’t see it, but I do. You’re funny, smart, sweet, you have a pretty face and a rather sexy body. You’re talented, hell you speak four languages for Christ sakes! You are awesome and never let anyone tell you otherwise, not even Kyoya. Because he’s the one that doesn’t deserve you.”

“You’re right.”

“I know I am!” She smiles proudly. 

“Fuck him and fuck all of this stupid arrangement!” You were feral. You were both laughing like the devil possessed you both. “I make my own stupid choices! I will find a husband that I will see fit for me, not for anyone else.” “That’s my girl!”

“Kyoya will be free of me and will do as he wishes and I’ll be happy.”

“Monday, it will be my personal mission to find someone for you. You won’t have to lift a finger.” You laugh deeply. “How about Asahi?”

“He is cute, isn’t he?” You buried your head in her pillow as you blushed over his tanned body. 

“Talk to him tomorrow, maybe you’ll even get some action.”

“Gross.” You were laughing so hard, you were afraid you’d wake up Haruhi, who’s bedroom was next to Renge. “Thank you, Renge.” You smiled at her. “You’re a great friend.”

“That’s what friends are for, lift each other up.” She slumped over you and hugged you with all of her strength and, oh god, was she strong.

You spent the rest of the night together in bed talking about your super plan to get another future husband. The Perfect Boyfriend List had six requirements: 

1.  He had to be rich

2. Handsome

3. Kind and generous 

4. Funny

5. Obviously interested in you 

6. Not be Kyoya

It was going to be easy, right? The list of rich handsome guys at school was long… Excruciatingly long, but not impossible! You and Renge were going to be the perfect team for that.

After the terrible morning in Renge’s room where you both jolted awake by her alarm at 8 am on a Sunday, you were quietly eating lunch with the other hosts, not bothering to look at he who shall not be named.

“So you and Renge–” Tamaki quietly starts. 

“Don’t even start there you pervert.” Tamaki gasps. “I heard about your BDSM with Haruhi, stay out of my business.” A soft smirk appeared on your face when he was lost for words. 

“That’s not what was going on!” He retorts. “And I wasn’t insinuating anything! I’m a gentleman! I heard loud crying, then laughter, I was just curious.”

“You were crying?” Mori asks, concern shown in his tone. You look up from your plate seeing him glare at Kyoya. 

“We were having a girls night, we would’ve invited Haruhi, but she was busy.” Renge snorts, Haruhi rolls her eyes, but giggles. 

“That’s not what happened!” As the two of them kept arguing loudly over breakfast, you felt his intense gaze on you. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of looking at him, for him to feel the reassurance in your eyes. He deserved it, the ignorance, but a part of you wanted to look at him.

A distant laugh rings in your ears and you recognize him immediately, Asahi! You stand up quickly to go meet him in the corridor leading to the main entrance.

“Asahi!” You called out and he stopped in his tracks to smile at you. 

“Y/n! Hi! How are you?” You finally catch up to him, panting from the sudden rush of adrenaline. 

“I’m great, how about you?” You wanted, tried, to act as casually as possible. 

“Good! I was about to go on an early swim with some friends, want to tag along?” His smile was so bright and so gentle. 

“Maybe later today?” He nods. “Look, yesterday I had a great time at the beach with you as my guest and I think you enjoyed my company a lot too… What I’m saying is that I’d like to go on a date with you.”

“Oh wow! I am super flattered that you asked me out. You’re a great girl and I’d love to hang out after school.” But… “But it’s going to sound shitty, but I don’t like you romantically, I really like Renge.” You gasp in pure shock. When? What? Where? “I’m so sorry!”

“No! Oh God, don’t be sorry at all!” You laugh nervously. “I didn’t know, but I’m glad you told me, I’ll put in a good word for you.” He chuckles. “But I would really like to hang out with you too, as friends obviously.” He nods and you rush back to your table where Renge was already waiting for what you were about to tell her. “He said no.” It was plain and simple. 

“That jerk.” She wasn’t happy. Not a great start.

“He likes you.” It sounded less confident than you planned to. 

“Even a bigger jerk.” She was pouting.

“You asked someone out?” Kaoru asked, quite interested. 

“Yep and got rejected, no hard feelings.” You chuckle nervously. Renge was plotting something in her mind, she’s been quiet on the subject for far too long. “He’ll regret rejecting you.” She mumbled. 

“No, Renge, I don’t care I got rejected.” You laugh patting her on the back. “Besides, you could get yourself one heck of a boyfriend with Asahi.” 

“You asked Asahi out?” The group exclaimed, all of them were in shock as for Kyoya… He was silent.

You felt guilty for asking another guy out right after you got rejected by your fiancée, but it was what you had to do to get out of this union. Be someone else’s fiancée and be happy… You finally looked over at Kyoya and he felt cold and distant as the group were all yelling at each other over why you had asked Asahi out. He quietly stood and exited the room just as he did at last night’s dinner. You'd hurt his feelings, but so did he. It wasn’t fair play, but he didn’t want you that way, might as well find someone who would. Someone who would love you the way you deserve to be loved. After all, The Perfect Boyfriend List had six requirements: 

1. He had to be rich

2. Handsome

3. Kind and generous 

4. Funny

5. Obviously interested in you 

6. Not be Kyoya 

— 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬

✧ @gay-noble @vanicogh @hopeless-romanticnamed-s @idktbhloley @p1nkliquor @hellokittykuroo @batboob @kisskissshutmydoor @lemonrolls @hoku-killer @sunukissed @jessiegerl @lunalily19 @i7zha @asrainterstellar @arimoony24 @simp-lythebest @fan-g0rl​ @randobeetlehouse​​ @glomp-me @yeeyeebabe @maackiimoo @kaelysian @noendingtolove @luminaaz @thewendyslogo @eri0-0 @arielbillyboy16 @aangsupremacy​ @yuriklol​ @lillunna @lostsomewhereinthegarden @chocorenchin  @sukcama @bratb1tch @topmeyelena

[classic-art]

La Surprise

Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718-1719

[alreadyblondenow]

COLLAB CALL!

On the 6th of April, year 2018, I decided to stan NCT and support Lee Taeyong with everything. And I can’t remember my life before that. So to celebrate my love for Lee Bubu and for NCT in general, I just had to do something.

So because of my love for ‘FLY ART’ and Lee Taeyong, this writing collaboration or exhibit for NCT’s leader Lee Taeyong will focus on famous romantic paintings.

RULES

This may be a Taeyong exhibit, but if you wish to write for another member and join this collab you’re 100% welcome. But let’s prioritize Taeyong please.

DEADLINE will be during the month of JULY. 

If you’re a kind of person who’s prone to backing out last minute instead of finishing what you’ve signed up for, do it now.

There are no slots for members, but I will accept 10 writers only. And also no repeating of paintings. 

All fics should include SMUT but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. But as the host of this exhibit, that is my main request.

If you’re underage and you wish to write smut, the answer is no sweetie.

Minimum of 1k words and no word limit.

No topics about BULLYING, HARASSMENT, INC3ST, HOMOPHOBIA, SUICIDE, etc. Please be mindful of your ideas.

No sci-fi, let’s stick to the real world.

HOW TO JOIN

Choose a painting in GALLERY A below. Read the descriptions carefully.

Go to my blog and submit a post to me with this format:

*Attach a photo of your chosen painting, just to make sure that we are on the same page* Keyword: Chosen painting: Chosen member: Genres & AUs: A short description of what you’re planning to write:

After submitting, please wait for me to confirm your slot and wait for me to tag you officially under the post before reblogging it.

Questions will be entertained through private message. 

GALLERY A

Please choose the painting that you wish to write for. All are personally handpicked by me, has different stories and theories and are different visually (obviously).  

The lover by Rene Magritte - The masterpiece that was painted on the canvas in 1928, beautifully captures the essence of any typical relationship. We come across a couple, with hidden faces. Even with their hidden faces, Magritte claims that ‘nothing is concealed in the painting’. Both of the individuals are embracing each other’s presence in their life. Taken by @moonctzeny

Dance on the country by Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Celebrating the love between a man and a woman, this painting appears to be a joyous reflection of them. Both figures appear too different from each other, yet choose to be together. Impression style is used to draw the intimacy between two people. Taken by @yutasgalaxy

The Honeysuckle Bower by Peter Paul Rubens - A gentle touch of their hands portrays intimacy and warmth. The painter deserves appreciation for his ability to use brilliant skills to paint dramatic and high-class clothing. The dressing plays a crucial role in letting us know that the couple is a high society couple. It also has the theme of gender and love. While the man hardly smiles, his wife seems cheerful and happy, implying the different approaches towards the love between the two genders.

The Jewish Bride by Rembrandt - Both of the subjects are dressed richly. A beautiful portrayal of emotions can be noticed in the painting. While both of them are physically close, they do not look into each other’s eyes. We see them lost alone at the moment. They are so mesmerized by their intimacy that they even forget to look at each other. Almost nothing can move them. Taken by @prettyjaems

La Surprise by Antoine Watteau - The lady is carefree and submits herself completely to the arms of her lover. Both of them embrace each other while kissing. However, the third figure is not so much in love. He is holding his guitar. Even though he is trying to play the guitar, his focus is on the passionate couple. On the other hand, a couple is unaware and carefree of his presence. They just can’t notice him playing guitar. The guy sitting alone realizes that even his music can’t reach the lovers’ ears. He is there with his tunes alone.

The Kiss Gustave by Klimt - Intimacy is shown by the way the individuals are locked with each other. The resemblance seems spiritual. A man kisses the woman’s cheek, she shies away.  The romantic painting is still present in Vienna’s Museum. With thousands of admirers flocking every year, its fame only increases. The painting doesn’t let us see the face of the dominant man but gives the spotlight completely to that of the lady. They embrace each other as if they have seized. Their embrace seems to have become eternal. Taken by @bl--ankhaeji

The Birthday by Mark Chagall - This was the painting that he painted just before their marriage and thus holds a significant value in his life. This sets out to be a wonderful self-portrait of the artist and his lover, Bella. While Bella is given full spotlight, an artist himself doesn’t really show much of himself. We can reflect on his love for his muse and how much she mattered in his life through the stage sharing in the painting.

Self-portrait as a Tehuana by Frida Kahlo - The positioning of Diego at the forehead of Frida is vital. Frida does this to depict how she can only think of her lover and ex-husband. He was a womanizer and didn’t ever commit to their marriage. Even after getting cheated on, her love for Diego didn’t reduce at all. She has painted a spider web around her head probably to signify that only Diego resides inside her body and mind. The use of Tehuana, a traditional dress worn by her in the portrait, contrasts with her emotional state. Despite her sadness, she produces various romantic paintings that earned her reputation among admirers and also critics. Taken by @jeontaeil

Le Printemps (Springtime) by Pierre Auguste Cot - It captures young love and its beauty. Young lady’s hands are wrapped around her lover’s neck, while he admires her pretty face. Her white dress signifies the purity of love. It is also the depiction of love itself is the most spiritual experience. The most unique feature of the painting can be the sunlight falling behind the couple. It is painted beautifully and is almost unreal. Taken by @alreadyblondenow

A Romance by Santiago Rusignal - This portrait shows a woman playing the piano while a man stands by her. The painting can be seen as a simple one with its domesticated setting. The woman is lost in the moment as she plays the piano while the man is lost as he listens to her tunes. Both have a calm and also composed face which shows a very relaxed environment. The love between them is music. His paintings are so moving that we can even imagine the music in a painting. 

The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis by Jacques Louis David - Telemachus keeps his hand on the thigh of Eucharis, while she hugs him with sadness on her face. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus, who loves Eucharis. Both are passionate lovers. However, Telemachus has to leave the comfort of his town and lover to fulfill the responsibility of being a son. He has to go on a search for his missing father. Colors are used to draw the contrast element. The red and blue dresses strike majorly with the flesh colors of the subjects. The sad but passionate romance makes us love the artistic skills of Jacques. Taken by @yutahoes

keyword: sweet potatoes

Link to my submission post: HERE

[puckiety]

lovers in a dangerous time

riches and wonders, the mountain goats // marigold, mother falcon // la surprise, jean-antoine watteau // litany in which certain things are crossed out, richard siken // sonnet xvii, pablo neruda // psyche revived by cupid’s kiss, antonio canova // in our bedroom after the war, stars // the virgin, gustav klimt // fragment, sappho // bees, ballroom thieves.

[secondlifep]

Title: La Surprise Artist/Maker: Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, 1684 - 1721)

[byronsmuse]

La Surprise -  Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718

[loosealcina]

The Surprise by Antoine Watteau

[milkmugishere]

PPPPPP - Ch.26

(Thoughts on the latest Chapter 26 [Read chapter here]

Other Appreciation for Week 28 March - 1 April ‘22: 1. PPPPPP - Ch.26 (you are here) 2. Akane Banashi - Ch.7

Opened with a shivering Furusu!

Melolin’s outfit is really questionable for me... and the way her dress is shaded makes her look like a widow haha...

It is really nice when you have your own technique and style, since it will help differentiate you with others and provide a “brand”; people can “expect” what they will get. Doesn’t mean you can’t make surprises of course, it just gives further clarity on your specialization. This also applies to other services imo.

L’Isle Joyeuse - Claude Debussy.

I listened to several rendition on Youtube, as well as reading about the history of it from several online sources since I’m not familiar with this piece.

Like Dada’s /Mapollo’s short description, it was inspired from a painting with title “The Embarkation for Cythera” by Antoine Watteau. I think, based on my own understanding, it tells a fantasy-like story, enchanting place in Island of Cythera.

Island of Cythera (Greek: Kythira) is the Ionian island where Venus / Aphrodite was born, which apparently would have been a destination for lovers.

For Lucky to be able to properly convey the illusion of this enchanted happy place, he needs to have his own experience, which I assume he didn’t have, due to his rough childhood. Which is why Furusu decides to take him to the beach so Lucky can get that experience himself.

From several sources, “Cadenza” (Italian: “cadence”), is an unaccompanied passage introduced usually at or near the close of a movement of a composition as a climax. So an ending solo. It is interesting that this particular piece starts with Cadenza, which can also ties with improvisation.

I think sustain can help convey the feeling of enchanted place well, I agree with Furusu (To use ‘Sustain' to me is like to achieve sounds like those of ‘Ethereal’ remixes on Youtube). But since I’m not a professional player and can’t properly read music sheet,  I can only guess roughly what it will sound like for what Furusu had in mind ...and I won’t know if it’s already there in the original piece or not haha.

Meanwhile, what will Melolin play next?

Oh?

Does this means we get to see more of her backstory with Mimin soon?

Look at that. Beautiful. Looking forward to the next one.

[v3-killing-harmony-imagines]

Could you do the guys with a s/o who doesn't really like to show much affection? And maybe if it isn't too much how'd they react when their s/o shows some form of affection? (like kissing / hugging / ect. ) Thanks and sorry for bothering you!

It's no trouble, anon! I hope that it’s ok!! If you want anything changed, let me know~

- Mod Angie

The drv3 boys with a s/o who doesn't show much affection (and their reaction when they do show affection!)

Shuichi Saihara

He doesn't really mind whether or not you show affection for him, he knows that you love him anyways. He loves you too!!

He doesn't show a lot of affection either, but he still likes to hold your hand sometimes! You don't really mind it and you think it's hella cute

Your relationship is perfect, even if you don't show much affection for him! You both still love each other!

After a few months of dating, he decides to move in with you and everything is great!

He does have work, though, but he always comes back around 8 pm

but this one night, it was 10 pm and he still wasn't home. he must be stuck in traffic or something, but he didn't answer his phone and you were so so worried about him.

You paced around and kept looking out the window in hopes to see his car, but no luck... You waited patiently by the door until he finally came home

Minutes turned into hours and you were getting more panicked. You probably called and texted him more than 100 times with no answer,,

where the heck was he ? is he ok ??

It was almost midnight and you were starting to lose all hope...

You were starting to cry but then! You hear a car park and a car door shut!! You look out the window and it's him!

You were so so relieved and you wait for him to get in the house

When the door opened and you heard his tired voice saying "I'm home," You immediately tackled him with a hug and kissed him on the lips (not for too long, though. just a little smooch,,)

He was shooketh as heck but he hugged you back. you could see that he was blushing like a dork and you were so happy that nothing bad happened to him. He laughed a little after a minute of hugging you.

“I didn't think you'd miss me that much, s/o... I'm sorry for being so late... We should get to bed now."

Rantaro Amami

Like Saihara, he doesn’t really mind. He’s not really into the lovey-dovey stuff, but his favorite thing to do with you is cuddle on the couch and watch a movie until you both fall asleep. He always stops showing affection whenever you feel uncomfortable, too.

You two hang out very often and this one night you decided to pop in a Disney movie and watch it. The movie starts and you both get comfy in a lot of blankets and pillows.

Not even 10 minutes into the movie, Rantaro lays his head on your shoulder and shares a blanket. You let him stay there for a while and let him relax.

You try your best to stay awake and watch the movie, since you’ve never seen this one before. Even if Rantaro’s calm breathing makes you want to close your eyes, you try to focus on the movie.

The climax comes up and a noise wakes him up, making him jump a little. You both laugh about it and he takes you in his arms, and does his usual thing of covering you with a lot of blankets, making sure that you’re warm. “...Tell me if you wanna stop.” He always reminds you when he does this, since he cares about your comfort too. You tell him that you don’t mind that much, as long as he doesn’t go any further, you’re ok!

You actually stay awake for the whole movie after that and you were pretty sure Rantaro was too. When the ending comes, you keep your eyes open and make sure you’re not missing a second of it.

The prince “dies” and the princess starts crying her eyes out, and magic happens and happily ever after! It’s always in most of these types of movies, so you aren’t that surprised.

The “true love’s kiss” is about to happen and you adjust yourself and kiss Rantaro when it does happen. He chuckles and smiles, his arms still around you. His warm lips kiss your nose.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be so affectionate today… I’m not complaining.”

You spend the rest of the night sleeping on the couch together.

 Korekiyo Shinguji

He shows hardly any affection, so he completely understands and relates. He’s fully aware how much you love him, even if you two don’t really show it through affection.

He loves to show you things you’ve never learned or seen, and you think it’s absolutely amazing that the things he shows you actually exist.

You both decide to visit an art gallery as a little date, and you planned it for this weekend. You’re both really interested in going since one of your favorite artist’s work will be on display.

When you get there, he spends a couple of minutes looking at Jean-Antoine Watteau’s “The Lesson of Love”, and you tell him about the painting. He tells you what he likes about the painting, and then you both make your way to your favorite artwork.

It takes you a couple of minutes to find it, and a couple more from looking at the other paintings, but when you find it you’re so amazed! It was shipped here from the other side of the globe and it’s right in front of you, and you’re so amazed… it was like it was shipped here just for you!

You tell him a little about the painting and the artist, and he looks mesmerized as well. You spend a while in front of the painting, trying to contain your absolute excitement, and you spend the whole day teaching him about art. Even if he has a mask on, you can tell that he looks happy to learn.

On your way home, you’re so happy that he came with you! You thank him for coming and something slips from your mouth.

“I’m really happy you came with me, Korekiyo… and even if we were in an art gallery, I couldn’t help but stare at you, hah…Wait a minute.” You realized how bad that sounded and you blushed so hard???? Korekiyo’s eyes went a little wide.

“s/o, it’s not occasional for you to say something like that… I didn’t think you would show it right now… I thank you for today, dear.” His mask moved a little and it looked like he was smiling.

 Kaito Momota

He’s okay with you not showing affection! He sometimes forgets, though,  and holds your hand in public, but it’s not a huge problem or anything! He’s always apologizes too much when you remind him, and you two joke about it a lot.

On nights when the sky is really clear, he likes to teach you about the constellations and the names of stars, and there’s a lot of “Wait, that’s not a star? That’s a planet?! It’s so bright!” but he never actually showed them to you through a telescope

You asked him why the Ultimate Astrologist didn’t have a telescope and he laughed awkwardly.

Long story short, it dropped and broke, and he needs to get another one. You suggest that he should go to this one store in the mall, and that you saw a nice looking telescope on display. You also tell him that you have the money for it, as long as he pays some of the cost, and he’s sold

He decided to go with you this morning, as you were informed by a text from him, sent to you at exactly 6:32 am. Hoe was already at your door by 6:45 am, and you told him that the mall opens at 11. You both go get breakfast somewhere and go to the mall to snatch that telescope

You arrive and there it is!! It’s a really pretty one and you buy it. You agree to let him carry it and you set it up that night!

He positions and focuses it, smiling, and lets you take a peek.

You close one eye and look through the lens and holy shit is that the fucking rings around Saturn??

It’s really blurry but it’s so fucking cool! Then all of a sudden you feel a little poke on your cheek??

You look back and you see him blushing. “Sorry, you just looked so cute like that, haha.” You moved away from the telescope. “...and you look cute when you blush, Kaito.” You kissed his cheek back and he looked like he was internally screaming??????? He was smiling like a dork and was like that for the rest of the night.

 “I’m so happy that I get to love someone as nice as you, s/o! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

 Kokichi Ouma

He expects a lot of affection and attention when you first start dating! He's the one to start affection literally anywhere and everywhere, and he thinks that it's cute when you blush~ you tell him that you're not comfy with the idea of showing affection as often as he does and he understands!

He's a little upset for your lack of "love", but he knows that you love him no matter what!

He likes to kiss your cheek and hold your hand sometimes-- but definitely not in public! He doesn’t do it for a long time, either. If you tell him to stop he sulks a little but he does stop. He cares about your comfort too, but he wants to let you know that he loves you just like you love him!

You really appreciate the thought, even if it makes you feel uncomfy sometimes.

He shows the most affection when you come back home from school or work. The second you walk in he loves to shower you with love and you refuse to believe that this smol is the leader of an evil organization

Today you enter the house and you expect to be smothered with kisses but... he's not there.??

You look throughout the house and call his name a couple of times,, and he’s not answering back,,

You eventually find him sleeping on your bed, all bundled up in blankets, his angelic-looking sleeping face making you smile.

You quietly come over and gently kiss his forehead.

You walk over to the window, closing the blinds so he wouldn't have to strain his eyes when he does wake up

All you hear is a little “Nishishi~” and you turn back to him.. you can see a really big grin on his face. oh fuck he caught you

He sits up and his eyes are sparkling. Was he even sleeping in the first place?!

He gets up and zooms to you, and gives you a hug. Now that he’s awake, it’s time to shower s/o with love !! You’re still really embarrassed from him catching you but you feel kinda happy,, he starts to giggle while hugging you tight.

“Nishishi~ I caught you red handed, s/o! I knew you couldn’t resist me!”

 Kiibo (K1-B0)

When you two started dating, he was so prepared with research on dating and everything! but,, after a while he started to notice that you weren't showing that much affection for him,,,

He thought that affection like hugging and kissing was essential in a romantic relationship, so he was confused and sort of afraid,,??

Do you not love him?? He asks you and he's really nervous,,  look at this cute robo, he has anxiety

You assure him that you do and explain that you don't like showing affection! he's still a little confused but he's ok with it!

Most of your dates consist of just hanging out and playing board games, which isn't really considered a date he says ?

So on your 4th (actual) date, you decide to actually go outside and go to the amusement park.

You also decide to stay away from most of the rides, for Kiibo's sake. Robokid here doesn't do well on roller coasters.

You spend most of the night just talking about things and riding calm rides and such. You're both really happy and having a good time!

You spot a really cute rabbit plush hanging from one of the game stands and you really want it! You and Kiibo go to the stand and you try to win the plush!

You gotta knock over all of the bottles with a ball, which sounds and looks really easy but it's not-

Every time you throw the ball it just somehow misses or knocks only one bottle off, and you start to get lowkey frustrated.

Kiibo grabs one of the balls and just. casually throws it and he somehow knocks all of the bottles over

You're really shook and the bunny plush was just handed to you>?! You were so happy that you leaned over and kissed the robo's cheek

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! warning overheating robot please save him !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He blushes so much and he's speechless but so happy?? You agree to hold hands for a little while after that and he's smiling so wide!! he's so cute

On the way home, he's still smiling and he finally says:

"s/o, I am really happy you brought me on a date like this. I would like to do this again soon!”

 Ryoma Hoshi

(This one has a car crash involved, so read at your own risk!)

Ryoma isn’t into lovey-dovey affection either, and so he doesn’t show it often. If he does, it’s usually accidentally, like falling asleep with his head on your shoulder. You think that it’s really cute when he does it without realizing.

Your relationship is rather stable, and even if you show a little, or maybe no affection, when either of you need help you help each other out. You disagree with him and comfort him when he self-loathes, and he comforts you when you’re buried in stress.

In other words, your relationship is going fine without the affection involved.

This one night, you hung out with your friends and Ryoma, and you decided to let one of your friend’s friends (who you didn’t know personally) drive you two back home.

There was barely any talk in the car, and of course the car radio was ripped out the car? The driver told you earlier that it was stolen. Who steals a car radio?

The seats in the back were a little ripped up and the seatbelts were itchy, and other than the roar of the engine, you all sat in silence.

That is, until the car jerked to the side and a loud screech was heard. After that, the car crashed and glass shattered. You were screaming even after the crash, and panic rose with your eyes still closed. You were crying so much after a few seconds, afraid to open your eyes to something really bad.

You hear a click of a seatbelt unbuckling and you feel hands grabbing onto you.

“s/o, it’s okay. Everyone is okay, don’t panic.”

You cry even more knowing that Ryoma is okay, and you open your eyes.

There’s no wounds on him, and you only have a scratch on your arm from glass. You hug him tight and cry into his shoulder. He whispers phrases to comfort you and you’re just so happy that he’s okay.

Luckily, nobody was severely harmed and Ryoma had a little grin on his face when you both got home.

“I’m happy that you’re okay, s/o… I also liked it when you hugged me.” He was blushing a little.

 Gonta Gokuhara

A gentleman must show affection for his s/o! Well… you tell him that’s not the case for you. A gentleman does show affection for his significant other, like kissing their hand, but a gentleman also cares about their comfort! He takes notes and understands after you explain to him! After that, he tends to tell you that he loves you often, and doesn’t show any physical affection unless you want him to.

He’s such a sweetheart so you don’t mind his constant reminders that he loves you.

You both agree to spend time together this morning since neither of you have anything planned. He takes you to his favorite place in the woods and you both sit and talk about things.

While you talk, you start picking flowers around you and start weaving them together, making a flower crown. It was really fragile and flimsy, but it still worked! You’re really proud of it!

You place it on your head and make one for Gonta as well. He gets interested in your work and smiles like the cutie he is when you place the finished product on his head. After you adjust the crown so that it doesn’t fall apart, you plant a little kiss on his forehead. He makes a little noise and is blushing profusely. He speaks with a little confusion, “s/o?? Did you just do that to Gonta…?” You smile and kiss his forehead again, and he makes the same noise again. “s/o, Gonta is really happy that you are doing this, but will you allow Gonta to do the same?”

You let him gently kiss your forehead and part of the flower crown breaks, the flowers landing on your hair. You spend the rest of the afternoon teaching him how to make a flower crown and you can tell that he’s just so happy receiving that small kiss from you!

[fine-art-connection]

Jean-Antoine #Watteau "La Surprise" (1718). (at Chicago, Illinois)

[popellay]

The art world in broad strokes, July 24

The art world in broad strokes, July 24

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a bill that allocates $145 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. The bill will have to go to a full House vote, then a Senate vote, before it can be signed into law by President Trump, who announced in March that he intends to eliminate the NEA from the 2018 federal budget, because nothing can happen without drama these days. [ArtNet] The…

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: The Getty Buys Trove Valued at Over $100M, Includes a Michelangelo and a Watteau

Girolamo Mazzola, called Parmigianino, “Head of a Young Man” (ca.1539-40) (all images courtesy the J. Paul Getty Trust)

The Getty Museum has announced a major acquisition of master works that will greatly enrich its Department of Drawings. Entering its collection are 16 drawings by Michelangelo, Parmigianino, Rubens, Goya, Degas, and other great artists — all male, notably — from Western art history. Purchased as a group from an unidentified British private collection, the acquisition is a landmark move for the institution, which has built up its trove of European drawings over two and a half decades. The institution’s director Timothy Potts described it as “a transformative event in the history of the Getty Museum. Many art specialists are estimating the total amount paid for the works certainly exceed $100 million, but the museum has not commented on the final price.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, “Study of a Mourning Woman” (ca. 1500-05)

“It is very unlikely that there will ever be another opportunity to elevate so significantly our representation of these artists, and, more importantly, the status of the Getty collection overall,” he said in a press release.

Among the acquired masterpieces is Parmigianino’s incredibly detailed ink drawing a young man’s head, portrayed frontally, and a drawing by Michelangelo of a woman in mourning who hides her face within the folds of her draped garment. The latter was discovered in 2000 at Castle Howard in England and was valued then at £8 million (~$10.4M USD).

While the museum did not reveal the price tag of this monumental buy, Potts told the New York Times that it was “the Getty’s biggest in terms of financial value.”

The drawings mostly date to the 16th century and the majority are by Italian artists. Also represented is Rubens, whose early 17th-century oil-on-paper work of an African man served as the study of one of the central figures in his famed “The Adoration of the Magi.” And from Goya arrives a particularly foreboding brush-and-ink drawing: “The Eagle Hunter” (1812–20) portrays a hunter hanging from a cliff to reach for eggs in a nest, his face hidden by a metal cooking pot that serves as a helmet — particularly necessary in this scene, as the parent eagle appears behind him, with sharp claws at the ready.

Aside from the drawings, the Getty also acquired one painting of a fête galante by Antoine Watteau. “La Surprise” depicts a couple in an amorous embrace as a musician watches them, and a dog watches him. Once lost for almost two centuries and believed to be destroyed, the work was found in 2007 in a British private collection. According to the LA Times, the Watteau was “on offer for more than $22 million in 2011.”

It will be some time before the public will be able to see these treasures in person. The majority of the artworks are currently in storage at the Getty, but export licenses for three are still pending. The museum is currently planning to showcase the entire group together in a special exhibition at a date to be decided.

Lorenzo di Credi, “Head of a Young Boy Crowned with Laurel” (ca. 1500-05)

Fra Bartolommeo, “Studies of the Heads of Two Dominican Friars” (ca. 1511)

Jean Antoine Watteau, “La Surprise” (ca. 1718) (all images courtesy the J. Paul Getty Trust)

Francisco de Goya, “The Eagle Hunter” (ca. 1812-20)

John Martin, “The Destruction of Pharaoh’s Host” (1836)

Sebastiano del Piombo, “Study for the Figure of Christ Carrying the Cross” (ca.1513-14)

Federico Barocci, “Study for the Head of St. Joseph” (ca. 1586)

Edgar Degas, “After the Bath” (ca.1886)

Domenico Beccafumi, “Head of a Youth” (ca.1530)

Peter Paul Rubens, “Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban” (ca. 1609-13)

The post The Getty Buys Trove Valued at Over $100M, Includes a Michelangelo and a Watteau appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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[facetimeart]

Art Industry News: Leonardo DiCaprio Taps Adrian Ghenie to Help Save the Planet + More Must-Read Stories

Israeli Art Student's Use of Auschwitz Artifacts Incites Furor – The student, Rotem Bides, claims to have collected objects from the former concentration camp for use in a school exhibition. The move has prompted heated backlash from the college as ...

Getty Museum Buys Art by Michelangelo, Parmigianino and More ... Jean-Antoine Watteau's “La Surprise,” circa 1718, was the lone painting in the acquisition. It was thought lost until 2008. Credit via Getty Museum.and more »

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: A Western Cultural History of Pink, from Madame de Pompadour to Pussy Hats

View of the Women’s March on Washington from the roof of the Voice of America building in Washington, D.C. (image via Wikimedia)

Visitors to the official website of the Pussyhat Project are welcomed with an exclamation of color and joy from founders Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman: “We did it! We created a sea of pink!” And indeed they did. The Women’s March on Washington, D.C., and the 600 allied marches across the United States and the world, drew between 3.3 and 4.6 million protesters, making it one of the largest single-day demonstrations in the nation’s history. Suh and Zweiman launched the Pussyhat Project in advance of the march with the goal of having one million hats on hand, and their website includes PDF patterns for knit, sewn, and crocheted versions, which have collectively been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The resulting sea of cat hats caused a run on pink yarn across the country and quickly became a powerful visual shorthand for this particular swath of anti-Trump protest movements.

The message of the color pink is so powerful that it rarely needs explanation. We all know what it implies: it’s feminine, frilly, cheery, and delicate, certainly not a color we expect to see on, say, the cover of a scientific journal. It is often used to stand in for character development, as in the 2001 movie Legally Blonde, in which it’s implied that the pink-clad sorority girl Elle Woods, who carries a pink-accessorized chihuahua for good measure, can’t possibly be serious about applying to Harvard Law School. A claque of superficial teenage girls is similarly characterized in the 2004 film Mean Girls (“On Wednesdays, we wear pink,” says the alpha.) Unlike red, which flexibly symbolizes both Communism and the GOP, pink is so precisely coded that it’s almost impossible to misunderstand its intent. For this reason, pink tends to be either loved or loathed.

This happened yesterday in San Francisco! Were you there? We see a mini sea of pink. Resist, dear ones. And may we never stop Stefan Ruenzel

A post shared by Pussyhat Project (@p_ssyhatproject) on Feb 12, 2017 at 5:04am PST

The Women’s March managed the tricky feat of eliciting criticism from both the right and the left, and one of the themes of that criticism has been the Pussyhat Project, and its signature color, in particular. A week before the March, Petula Dvorak admonished her readers in the Washington Post: “Please, sisters, back away from the pink.” Dvorak argued that pussy hats risked trivializing the message of the Women’s March, and she focused much of her critique on their color and crafting. Her language is telling: She writes of “pink pussycat hats, sparkly signs, and color-coordinated street theater,” as well as “she-power frippery,” then goes on to describe the imagined march as “an unruly river of Pepto-Bismol roiling through the streets.” Noting that the issues at stake for women in the Trump era are “serious stuff,” Dvorak makes the case for equal pay and reproductive rights, asserting her feminist bona fides, then goes on to mock pussy hats as “totally clever and cute and fun” — a clear dig based on negative stereotypes of young women’s speech. And in his predictably tone-deaf post-mortem of the march in the New York Times, the conservative opinion writer David Brooks proposed that the whole exercise was mired in the dead-end rituals of lefty identity politics and that its props and crutches were distractions disguising a lack of real substance from which a coherent anti-Trump agenda might arise. He singles out “pink hats” for disdain, and his lack of any descriptors to characterize them makes his logic clear: It goes without saying that pink is unserious. But why?

Portrait of Madame de Pompadour by Maurice Quentin de la Tour, painted between 1748 and 1755, Musée du Louvre (via Wikimedia)

Pink’s cultural history is complicated. Its first real moment in the spotlight was during the European Rococo period, when it became a favorite hue for fashion, confections, tableware, and the lighthearted frolicking depicted in the Romantic paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Madame de Pompadour, the chief mistress of Louis XV, famously loved pink clothes, and she commissioned a bright pink porcelain service from Sèvres, which developed a new color for the set called Rose Pompadour in 1757. But throughout this period, pink was more strongly associated with style and luxury than with a particular gender. Quoted in a 2013 article in The Atlantic, fashion historian and Director of the Museum at FIT Valerie Steele notes that “in the 18th century, it was perfectly masculine for a man to wear a pink silk suit with floral embroidery.” Pink was still understood primarily as a paler version of red — a bold, even bellicose color that had military associations.

Soft-paste porcelain Potpourri vase, Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present), modeled by Jean-Claude Duplessis (French, ca. 1695–1774, active 1748–74), ca. 1757–58, Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1958 (image via Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Even more surprising is the fact that light blue — which, as many a modern-day sex-reveal cake will confirm, is virtually synonymous with the phrase “it’s a boy!” — was more strongly associated with female children until just after World War II. Sociologist Jo B. Paoletti, whose book Pink and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America traces the history of color and gender in children’s clothing, writes that for most of the 19th century, the go-to color for dressing infants of both sexes was white. This was partly for practical reasons: Dyes during this period were apt to fade with repeated washing, particularly the boil-washing and bleaching required to keep baby clothes clean, so there wasn’t much point in spending money on fashionably hued garments for infants. The second reason is that, at the time, babies’ perceived gender ambiguity was viewed not as a problem to be solved with a color-coded headband, but as a virtue to be cherished and protected. Gender was understood as a component of adult sexuality, which in turn was considered taboo in the context of young children. If prepubescent children were “innocent,” they were to be only vaguely gendered. As color became a potent branding tool in the first decades of the 20th century, pink and blue emerged as interchangeable colors for children’s clothing and nursery décor, along with pale yellow and green. And sometimes pink was perceived as more appropriate for little boys, owing to its relationship to the robust and “masculine” red. But, according to Paoletti, well into the 1920s, there was little consensus on the part of department stores and women’s periodicals as to which color was properly assigned to which gender, and many parents simply gravitated to whatever looked more attractive on their child.

How and when did this change? “There was no sudden, unanimous cultural shift,” Paoletti writes in Pink and Blue. “It evolved over decades. At the same time, clothing manufacturers did their best to anticipate those choices better than their competitors and to shape those choices in order to make them more predictable and profitable.” In other words, it may not have happened overnight, but it was clearly the influence of manufacturing and marketing in the postwar United States that caused the gendered assignments of pink for girls and blue for boys to stick for good.

Print ad for Hotpoint Stoves, 1956 (image via Flickr)

Pink emerged as one of the dominant hues in the 1950s at precisely the moment when American women were whisked off the wartime assembly line and back into the kitchen. Thanks to the postwar proliferation of suburban tract housing with brand new appliances in fashion colors, American homes simultaneously became more explicitly gendered and more actively color-coded than ever before. In her book The Color Revolution, design historian Regina Lee Blaszczyk finds one of the earliest moments of pink’s emergence in, of all places, the preppy men’s retailer Brooks Brothers, which in 1949 opened a department store just for women on 5th Avenue and introduced a popular line of pink blouses that got major publicity in the fashion press. This, combined with First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s fondness for a shade that became known as “First Lady Pink,” helped propel the color into American shops and homes. Unlike Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli’s version, Shocking Pink, which enjoyed a somewhat avant-garde moment in the late 1930s, First Lady Pink was soft and subdued.

Mamie Eisenhower in her inaugural gown, painted in 1953 by Thomas Stevens (via Wikimedia)

After pink conquered the fashion world, Blaszczyk writes, Armstrong premiered pink vinyl flooring and General Electric started selling “Petal Pink” appliances. Scores of competitors quickly followed suit. For women in the 1950s who were old enough to remember cast iron stoves, a pink cooktop and a matching floor would have been a revelation. The novel colors and sleek designs of the postwar period transformed kitchens from hot, uncomfortable workspaces into natural extensions of a feminized, comfortable, and stylish home. “Linked with the idea of female childhood,” writes Penny Sparke in her 1995 book As Long as It’s Pink: The Sexual Politics of Taste, “[pink] represented the distinctive gendering that underpinned 1950s society, ensuring that women were women and men were men. Gendering had to start at an early age, and parents were the key role models. The use of pink in the home emphasized the essential femininity of girls and women, and it showed daughters that their mothers understood this and wished them to recognize the distinctiveness of their gender as well.” Unsurprisingly, one of the main critiques of the limits of postwar life for middle-class American women was that it was akin to playing house. Betty Friedan famously characterized housewives as “childlike” and “passive” in The Feminine Mystique in 1963.

With pink’s complex lineage, it’s useful to think of its cultural footprint as intersectional. While its feminine association with gender is now unquestioned, it’s also a symbol, perhaps more crucially, of age. More than womanhood per se, pink represents girlhood, and it can be understood as a gendered yet asexual marker of femininity. Like the all-in-white infants of the 19th century, today’s little girls are awash in pink — a global phenomenon beautifully captured by the South Korean artist JeongMee Yoon in her “Pink and Blue Project.” But adult women are pinkified, too: The Breast Cancer Awareness movement has all but co-opted pink through advertising, product design, and even museum exhibition sponsorship, as in the well-received 2013 show Think Pink, which was on view at the MFA Boston in October 2013 (during Breast Cancer Awareness month). When we seek a pretty razor with a built-in dab of sweet-smelling moisturizer, we pay the “pink tax” to buy a product for women that’s nearly identical to its dark blue or steel gray (and less expensive) male counterpart.

JeongMee Yoon, “The Pink Project II: Lauren & Carolyn and Their Pink & Purple Things” (2009), light jet print (image courtesy of the artist)

So as consumers and activists today, when we embrace pink, are we proudly reclaiming a color that has been unfairly maligned and prone to sexist ridicule, or are we just falling into an advertiser’s trap? And conversely, when we denigrate pink, are we simply being reactionary, carping about an innocuous cultural trait the way radio listeners complain about vocal fry? It’s impossible to untangle the 1950s gendering campaign that made pink so pervasive from the sexism inherent to the era. We can’t know if we perceive pink the way we do because it became associated with women, or indeed if it became associated with women because it had been associated with childhood, and housewives were not perceived as fully adult. This netherworld of the not-quite-grownup woman is evident in pink’s cultural symbolism even now. While breasts are as sexualized as ever in popular culture, the Breast Cancer Awareness movement’s devotion to pink seems like a clear attempt to recast an illness that primarily afflicts a female erogenous zone (although men can also suffer from breast cancer) as something girlish, even prepubescent. Likewise, the Pussyhat Project took its name from the Access Hollywood tapes that record Donald Trump describing how and where a male celebrity can “grab” women. Though they have been referred to as “vagina hats” by critics on the right, in an attempt to vulgar-shame the protesters, the hats themselves, handmade and cozy, are more akin to stuffed animals than sultry clothing.

WOW Um, good morning! We woke up and there were #pussyhats on @theviewabc! Photo by @the_lemonade_shop

A post shared by Pussyhat Project (@p_ssyhatproject) on Jan 18, 2017 at 10:25am PST

I personally like pink quite a bit, even as I’m keenly aware of the machinations of the pink-industrial complex. On one hand, I resent the implication that women are being silly when they wear pink, and on the other, I resent the notion that girlishness is itself synonymous with frivolity. I happen to have been a pretty serious little girl, even as I wore pink stirrup pants in the 1980s. Yet we tie ourselves in knots trying to outrun the misogyny that’s both within and outside us. As the symbol of Code Pink and Act Up’s iconic and highly effective Silence = Death campaign, which referenced the pink triangle that was used by Nazis to identify gay men in concentration camps during World War II, pink has done some serious heavy lifting in social justice movements. It may do us all some good to reconsider pink as an unironic color of protest, and in doing so, to help exorcise some of our impulses to denigrate the color of girlhood. Since its cousin red is the color of war, I like to think that pink could become the hue of nonviolent battle, and that learning to embrace it may be a very small first step toward ending the war on women for good.

The post A Western Cultural History of Pink, from Madame de Pompadour to Pussy Hats appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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