Velvet Curtains and Gilded Frames

Focusing on the interplay between early cinema and the arts, this book delves into how European filmmakers of the 'long nineteenth century' sought legitimacy by appealing to middle-class audiences. It examines the dominance of Bourgeois Realism, highlighting the revival of genre painting, the popularity of social melodrama, and the rise of Pictorialism in photography. By aligning their visual and narrative styles with established art forms, filmmakers created the first 'art films,' reflecting the cultural landscape of their time.