Blog / “Make us see the familiar with new eyes”- Professor Wald

By Renee

Last night’s talk by Duke Professor Priscilla Wald, entitled “Gertrude Stein and the Visual Arts,” was a blast.  Her humorous commentary on Stein’s writings and her overall knowledge on the subject were a joy to listen to.  She even made entertainingly fascinating connections to Stein and Picasso’s work and their affinity for cinema.  Stein and Picasso even read 1897 comic strip by Rudolf Dirks, “The Katzenjammer Kids,” on a regular basis.  Who’d have thought? Picasso and Stein had a sense of humor!
As Wald’s talk went on, she brought 19^th century cinema into the 21^st century and played several YouTube videos by George Melies and Edison, among others.  They took a few moments to load, but they were well worth the wait! So for those of you who were unable to attend Wald’s talk, I hope this helps illustrate how entertaining this “lecture” truly was.  Enjoy!

Edison - Kiss (click on the image to watch)

Edison - Loie Fuller (click on image to watch video)

George Melies - The Conjour (click on image to watch video)

IMAGE (top): “Gertrude Stein Seated at Her Desk, in 27, rue de Fleurus, Paris,” 1920. Photograph. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. © 2008 Estate of Gertrude Stein. Used with permission of Estate of Gertrude Stein.