{"id":817925,"date":"2026-10-29T20:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T20:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/817925\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T20:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T20:30:13","slug":"escape-into-gretchen-scherers-maximalist-paintings-of-palatial-art-filled-spaces-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/817925\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape into Gretchen Scherer&#8217;s Maximalist Paintings of Palatial, Art-Filled Spaces \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gretchenscherer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Gretchen Scherer<\/a>\u2019s paintings of affluent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/gretchen-scherer\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 at <a href=\"https:\/\/monyarowegallery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">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<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-22.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cA French Cafe with Paintings\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cA French Cafe with Paintings\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cA French Cafe with Paintings\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1521\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-22.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of an ornate French cafe filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478947\"  \/><\/a>\u201cA French Cafe with Paintings\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Time opens today and continues through January 9 in New York. See more on Scherer\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gretchen_scherer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-66.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cA Secret Room, Beneath the Ambrosiana Library\u201d (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, 30 x 36 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cA Secret Room, Beneath the Ambrosiana Library\u201d (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, 30 x 36 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cA Secret Room, Beneath the Ambrosiana Library\u201d (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, 30 x 36 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-66.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of a palatial, aristocratic space filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478943\"  \/><\/a>\u201cA Secret Room, Beneath the Ambrosiana Library\u201d (2025), oil and acrylic on panel, 30 x 36 inches<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-55.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cKenwood House, Library\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cKenwood House, Library\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cKenwood House, Library\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1529\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-55.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of a palatial, aristocratic space filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478950\"  \/><\/a>\u201cKenwood House, Library\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-77.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cA Sepulcher Chamber with Paintings, Rome\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cA Sepulcher Chamber with Paintings, Rome\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cA Sepulcher Chamber with Paintings, Rome\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1596\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-77.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of a palatial, aristocratic space filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478944\"  \/><\/a>\u201cA Sepulcher Chamber with Paintings, Rome\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-88.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cWilanow Palace, Painting Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cWilanow Palace, Painting Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cWilanow Palace, Painting Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1564\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-88.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of a palatial, aristocratic space filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478945\"  \/><\/a>\u201cWilanow Palace, Painting Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-33.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cThe National Gallery at Night\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe National Gallery at Night\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe National Gallery at Night\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1518\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-33.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of the interior of a long gallery in the National Gallery at night\" class=\"wp-image-478948\"  \/><\/a>\u201cThe National Gallery at Night\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-44.jpeg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-478913\" title=\"\u201cPetit Trianon, Reception Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cPetit Trianon, Reception Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cPetit Trianon, Reception Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches\" data-rl_><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scherer-44.jpeg\" alt=\"a detailed oil painting of an affluent domestic space filled with paintings and other objects\" class=\"wp-image-478949\"  \/><\/a>\u201cPetit Trianon, Reception Room\u201d (2026), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<p>Hide advertising<\/p>\n<p>Save your favorite articles<\/p>\n<p>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Receive members-only newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/p>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gretchen Scherer\u2019s paintings of affluent homes, studios, and libraries appear to expand before our eyes. Brimming with ornately&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":817926,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6510,45850,6225,6485,6486,1120,96,147649,12787,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-817925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architecture","tag-art-history","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-gretchen-scherer","tag-painting","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=817925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/817926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=817925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=817925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=817925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}