{"id":8909,"date":"2026-10-29T10:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T17:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8909"},"modified":"2026-10-29T10:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T17:49:15","slug":"escape-into-gretchen-scherers-maximalist-paintings-of-palatial-art-filled-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8909","title":{"rendered":"Escape into Gretchen Scherer\u2019s Maximalist Paintings of Palatial, Art-Filled Spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Escape<\/p>\n

Gretchen Scherer<\/a>\u2019s paintings of affluent homes, studios, and libraries<\/a> appear to expand before our eyes. Brimming with ornately framed paintings installed salon-style on richly papered walls, her half-imagined spaces are inspired by real places, which she infuses with a playful brightness and whimsy.<\/p>\n

When we home in on one particular floral arrangement, framed artwork, or piece of furniture, it seems that there\u2019s a sudden increase in how much more there is to explore. Scherer\u2019s new solo exhibition, In Time <\/em>at Monya Rowe Gallery<\/a>, continues the artist\u2019s fascination with historical interiors, from art museums and drawing rooms to palatial halls and ecclesiastical spaces.<\/p>\n

\"a
\u201cA French Cafe with Paintings\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each canvas is devoid of figures other than those depicted in portraits, but there is always the sense that someone has been very busy. The artist leans into a kind of escapism or longing for not only elegant, luminous surroundings but a desire to immerse oneself, quite literally, in the world of art. In our era of steel, glass, concrete, and contractor gray interiors, Scherer celebrates craftsmanship and beauty.<\/p>\n

Fantastical convergences of art history and architecture occur in pieces like \u201cA French Cafe with Paintings,\u201d where a Beaux Arts interior transforms into an ad hoc gallery with myriad famous works casually strewn about. Gustav Klimt\u2019s \u201cThe Kiss\u201d (1908-09) leans to the right, while Henri Toulouse-Lautrec\u2019s \u201cAt the Moulin Rouge\u201d (1892-95) sits nearby.<\/p>\n

Working in oil, Scherer\u2019s choice of media nods to the same used to create many of the historical examples she includes. And as we increasingly contend with barrages of digital information and generative AI, the artist inundates us instead with the purely analog and handmade. It begs the question: in another 100 years, what will humans have been producing in our time that merits the same kind of awe and respect we have for these earlier creations?<\/p>\n

In Time <\/em>opens today and continues through January 9 in New York. See more on Scherer\u2019s Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a
\u201cA Secret Room, Beneath the Ambrosiana Library\u201d (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, 30 x 36 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cKenwood House, Library\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cA Sepulcher Chamber with Paintings, Rome\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cWilanow Palace, Painting Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cThe National Gallery at Night\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cPetit Trianon, Reception Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Escape into Gretchen Scherer\u2019s Maximalist Paintings of Palatial, Art-Filled Spaces<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gretchen Scherer\u2019s paintings of affluent homes, studios, and libraries appear to expand before our eyes. Brimming with ornately framed paintings installed salon-style on richly papered walls, her half-imagined spaces are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8909\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}