McKenzie Ball
For my un-essay I did an interpretive painting of the red room in Jane Eyre. The room is seen as a haunted place, where Jane feels trapped, alone with the spirit of her deceased uncle. Even though the red room is seen as “one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion” (Ch.2) it was never used unless necessary. People only entered it to clean and when they did they felt spooked. After a conflict with her cousin, Jane is sentenced to being locked in the red room. When Jane is in the room she says that there is a “strange little figure there gazing” at her. She describes it having a “white face and arms speckling the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit” (Ch.2). It is later mentioned that either the reflection of the moon or a lantern was causing this eerie glow, but it was enough to send Jane into a frenzy. She screams and cries for help until she is heard.
When painting the red room I wanted to add elements from the book while also adding Jane’s perspective of pure fright. The book mentioned the “wardrobe, the toilet-table, the chairs were of deep polished old mahogany” (Ch. 2) . To incorporate the color of the wood into my painting I used the table underneath the mirror to have a slightly red tinted brown color. It dried to be more brown than I had hoped. I also used a similar color to paint the bookshelf. Even though the book never mentioned a bookshelf, I added one to represent a bit of Jane’s character into the painting. The red room was also described to have “an ample cushioned easy-chair” (Ch.2) which is seen as white but I mistakenly painted red. When Jane saw the ghost she “had to cross before the looking glass” (Ch.2) so the angle of the painting is her looking through a mirror seeing the ghost through the window. For the ghost I took some creative liberty by adding the ghost’s boney looking hand coming through the window. The hand is positioned in a way where it looks like it’s pushing back the curtain. I also added some darker red blood dripping from the ceiling near the window to add more supernatural panic from Jane’s mind in that state. I added a candle to add some contrast to the painting. It adds a touch of elegance, as it is a mansion after all.
When it came to painting Jane’s appearance. I used picture references from different movie adaptations of Jane Eyre. When painting her eye color I took inspiration from the 2011 movie Jane Eyre directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. I think the brown eyes suited Jane the best. With her color pallet, I think it just matched her features better. For Jane’s other features I took inspiration from the 2006 Jane Eyre four-part series directed by Susanna White. Susanna White’s Jane Eyre had dark brown hair, strong features, and bushier eyebrows. Jane is a type of character who would present strong facial features. I incorporated actress Ruth Wilson’s lips as well. She looks how I picture Jane, minus the eye color. I think Mia Wasikowsa’s eye color with Ruth Wilson’s features is the Jane Eyre I aspired to paint and represent.
In all, I’m really happy with the way this piece turned out. I think it shows how I understand the book. I think Jane Eyre is a wonderful novel and I’m glad I could showcase a small part of it through painting. If I had more time there would be things I would like to go back to tweak, but with the time I spent I’m proud of the outcome.
Brontë, Charlotte, and Currer Bell. Jane Eyre: An Autobiography. Union Square & Co., 2022.
“Jane Eyre.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 21 Jan. 2007, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780362/.
“Jane Eyre.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 22 Apr. 2011, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229822/.
Sprockets and Springes 