Jensen, Brian: Analysis of, A Cosey Corner 

 

Analysis of, A Cosey Corner

In the work of art by Francis Davis Millet titled A Cosey Corner, a simple genre scene is pictured. A young woman is reading a small book while sitting in the corner of a home, between a crackling fire and windows giving her light for reading. The scene is partially framed with the walls and a support on the arch, where many small objects are on display. In this painting, the heavy use of warm colors, space, and soft texturing help the viewer feel just how cosey this corner really is.

Upon viewing the painting, it is easy to realize that the colors throughout are very warm. The color palette ranges from a dark black of the stove under the fire, to the bright yellow (almost a tan) dress. Yellow and various shades of yellow take up the most color in this painting. Mustard yellow walls are seen behind the woman and on the small section hanging from the ceiling. Golden candlesticks are sitting on the bronze beam, sharing space with some silver objects and a brown/black rifle. The floor is made up of tile, some cracked and worn. Gray tiles make up most of the floor with some brown tiles surrounding the stove. With the exception of the greenery of the outside world, this corner is objectively warm through color. The use of warm colors throughout the entire painting gives a feeling of warmth and comfort; a sort of coziness, if you will. It is easy to relate to the feelings and emotions this woman may be feeling, because they are feelings of relaxation; feelings of being free from tension and stress; feelings of enjoying a good book in a warm, comfortable room. The colors are warm, but not hot. The brighter orange embers of the fire are done to show that while the fire is small, it is still burning hot. None of the other colors in the scene are that dramatic. The warm colors give us a sense of ease and calmness. There is nothing going wrong, or nothing that could go wrong in this scene. The colors give us a simple portrayal of what just might be a lazy Sunday for the woman. Perhaps Millet chose this consistent color scheme to allow the viewer to partake in the comfort of the cozy corner.

The space in this scene is a bit unexpected the longer you look at it. If the woman were to stand up, it looks like she would hit her head on the ceiling. The space in that little alcove she is in seems quite small, and perhaps not much larger throughout the rest of the home. Judging by what looks like hooks above her head, the ceiling is only a couple feet above her. When a realtor tells you a home is cozy, that is their way of saying it is small. This scene is small, and in that sense, it is cozy. Now there is nothing wrong with the small space. The floor is clear, other than the basket she rests her foot on. She keeps a glass of tea within arm’s reach to supplement her reading experience. The space is small, but it is not crowded with junk or objects. It is comfortably snug. The space imperfectly frames the woman, as if she is the subject of the painting, framed by the painting itself. The wall on the right side meets the shale(?) floor, which extends from right to left, where our eye meets the stove and leads us up the chain to the ceiling, where we see the objects resting on the beam, which takes us back to the right wall. The space reinforces the subject.

The style of the painting itself is very easy on the eyes to look at, and it tells a lot about the setting. The smooth surfaces look free from grain and grit, to where you could slide your hand across without picking up any debris. The walls look aged, which could be attributed to the painterly brush strokes in some locations, telling the viewer that these walls have seen better days. The windows are smudged but free from cracks. This home is either old or built on a budget. The real power of the paintings texture comes from the woman’s features and her dress. Her face is soft and clean; she surely takes care of herself. Her dress is beautifully ornate and consistent with its flower patterns. The quick dashes of painterly strokes make up the delicate creases that seem to be positioned perfectly, as a real dress would. Out of the whole painting, the dress itself is the most complex object, and the most beautiful to look at.

Francis Davis Millet has created nothing new with this painting, but that doesn’t take away from its value at all. The dominance of warm colors gives us a feeling of comfort and peace; the woman is comfortably reading in her snug corner, and the space makes us feel that way too with a low volume of objects in a compact space. The texture of the painting literally comforts the viewer with easy brush strokes and no extremities in detail. Appropriately named A Cosey Corner, I wouldn’t name it anything else.