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A Flapper Who Called Great Neck Her Home
ALTHOUGH F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived on Long Island for only a year and a half, they are one of the area's most celebrated couples. They are remembered as glamorous symbols of Jazz Age extravagance. They are also remembered for their great talent.
Scott's short stories earned him wealth during his lifetime, and his novels, especially ''The Great Gatsby,'' secured him literary prestige after his death. Zelda's talent was less recognized in her time but much more multi-faceted. She wrote both short stories and a novel and became a proficient ballet dancer. She also had a third creative outlet -- painting -- that is often overlooked.
That talent is showcased in a new exhibition, ''Flappers in Fashion: Zelda Fitzgerald & the Jazz Age,'' at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages in Stony Brook. The show incorporates an exhibition of 54 of Zelda's paintings. But also on display are many photographs, documents and artifacts from the early 1920's, when the Fitzgeralds were part of a literary and Broadway crowd that lived in Great Neck.
The Fitzgeralds moved to 6 Gateway Drive in Great Neck Estates in October 1922, two years after Scott, then 26, gained fame for his first novel, ''This Side of Paradise.'' Zelda, who was then 22, was known best as the inspiration for her husband's flapper heroines, although she was also developing skills as a short-story writer.
Some of the exhibition's artifacts relate directly to the Fitzgeralds, like a silver-plated hip flask that Zelda gave to Scott during World War I. To evoke the free-wheeling Fitzgerald lifestyle, the museum has recreated a Jazz Age party with period furnishings and mannequins in a setting loosely based on the Fitzgerald’s living room.
Zelda began painting when she was 25; her work appeared in several exhibitions throughout her life, but received little attention. Her paintings in the show range from depictions of life of the 1920's to ones with religious themes, created in the 1940's. She died in 1948.
''Her pictures don't necessarily fit into the category of impressionism or realism but somewhere in between, both real and dream-like,'' said Joshua Ruff, the museum's history curator. ''She had a wonderful sense of color, these lush tones of coral, pink and blue that really tie in with the colorful clothing styles of the Jazz Age.''
The couple’s high-living antics could often be disconcerting for Zelda. ''She was a bit overwhelmed by the huge hordes of people she entertained,'' Ms. Cline said. ''It was both quite exciting and quite tense-making.''
When the Fitzgerald’s left Great Neck for Europe in 1924, Zelda began to pursue her own creative careers more diligently. She studied painting in Capri in 1925; her husband had just written ''The Great Gatsby,'' set in a fictionalized version of Great Neck. Two years later, back in the United States, Zelda began intensive training in ballet. Her interest in dance would eventually have an influence on her artwork. ''The figures in her paintings truly leap and move…and there's this elongation of the feet and hands that brings to mind the way muscles are used in dancing.''
In 1930, Zelda suffered her first breakdown. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, she underwent treatment in a series of mental institutions for the next 18 years. She wrote her only novel, ''Save Me the Waltz,'' while a patient at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore in 1932, but painting became her foremost pursuit.
''Her painting at this time was very useful to her as an artist because she was able to try new techniques, and very helpful in boosting her low self-esteem because she was able to work at something she was good at,'' Ms. Cline said.
Zelda died in a fire that destroyed Highland Hospital in North Carolina, where she was then institutionalized. The fire also destroyed many of her paintings. Scott died of a heart attack in 1940, while writing ''The Last Tycoon,'' his novel about Hollywood.
While Mr. Ruff believes Fitzgerald's artwork has aesthetic merit on its own, he also views her paintings within a psychological context. ''There is an almost anguished look to be found in these pictures,'' he said. ''Not just that but a mixture of optimism and anguish that matched her own experience at the time.''
-Compare and contrast Zelda’s troubled life with that of the fictional troubles of Daisy Buchannan. What is similar about their lives and struggles and what is different?
-Zelda and her husband were both artists in their own right; she was a painter and he was a writer. But why do you think that she was never famous for her art the way that her husband was for his?
I believe that the reason as to why Zelda, F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife never was famous for her art work was mainly because of the time. At that time im sure women didnt have the privileges they do know. Back then determined female authors had to pose as men to actually get a following for their books. So, i bet that this affected Zelda and that is the reason why she never really was able to become famous for her work and that is sad because she was just as talented as her husband. Zelda had terrible relationships and she couldn't find a man to stay loyal to her.
ReplyDeleteZelda’s life she was rich and married to a rich man just like Daisy. The difference is Zelda was married to an artist and Daisy was married to a ex football player who cheated on her. Daisy was smart and deep but she acted dumb and shallow and didn’t want people to know she was smart. Zelda was also deep and smart but she showed it. She wrote and made art and showed it off and wanted people to know about it. Zelda was also an artist and Daisy was not an artist. They both struggle with their husbands in a way though. Daisy’s husband cheats on her and she knows it. Zelda's husband was an artist and he died leaving her all alone. Zelda has art in museums and she wrote books and short stories that got published. She got her stuff out there for people to see and for people to know. Daisy doesn't even want people to know that she’s smart. They are alike bothing being married girls that have rich husbands. Zelda’s also made money off her paintings and novels and stories. She was able to support herself after her husband died. If Daisy’s husband died she would have to live off whatever money she left behind. Zelda's husband became famous for his art and she never did. She made just as many paintings and wrote a lot of novels. I think she never made it and became famous because it was the 1920s. Women weren’t taken seriously enough for her to become famous. Then women didn’t even get the right to vote until 1929 they weren’t taken seriously in the job world. So why would they be taken seriously as artists or writers. She has become famous now and has her art being put into museums. In the 1920s I dont know if women could actually have jobs. They usually relied on their husbands and didn’t need to get jobs and they weren't expected to. If Zelda had been a man in the 1920s her art and writings would had made her famous. Maybe even more famous than her husband.
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ReplyDeleteZelda was a painter as F. Scott was a writer. When she painted and gave her work to art museums, they weren’t really paid attention to. They said her paintings don’t fit in the category of impressionism, but they were very dream like and colorful. In the story, Daisy is being cheated. Her husband is having an affair with another woman who is also married. Tom makes Daisy meet the woman he’s cheating on her with. Zelda and Daisy are similar because Tom makes Daisy feel like nothing. Tom isn’t the nicest or gentlest to Daisy. Zelda also had low self-esteem so she painted to get her mind off of things. They are are many ways in which they are different. For one, Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Daisy was not. Daisy was cheated on and beat. Zelda was not. Zelda likes to paint, but Daisy likes to go out or party. I think the reason Zelda was never famous for her work like her husband was because she was a woman. I don’t know if at the time that was a big deal, but that’s what I feel the reason was. I also think people prefer books over art. People would rather read interesting stories than looking at art that has a meaning behind it, but you can’t figure it out. During the 20’s, both were popular. I also think maybe because she wasn’t mentally stable, people looked at her art differently.
I agree with you saying her art wasnt recognized cause she was a female. Women didnt really have much attention during this time period. I dont agree with it, but that is just how things were. Her art was amazing it just wasnt what people wanted or thought they wanted.
DeleteI think the recognition of art is whack. People will like what everyone else not what they like. People don't understand hard work when they see it. People will follow what everyone says. I think the reason for her husband success was more knowledgeable was because he was a man. As bad as that sound women were mistreated back then. Her art was very good. However her husbands type of art was better and more noticeable. Her art was realistic then and i guess that's what they wanted. Most people realize her art was part dream part realistic. The reason she painted the way she did was because she was crazy or atleast people thought she was crazy.
ReplyDeleteZelda and daisy have many similarities but also have many differences. They both married rich wealthy men. Daisy was cheated on Zelda was not. They are both abandoned by their husbands, Fitzgerald dies and leaves Zelda all alone and Tom is always going to see his mistress. They are both smart but Daisy doesn’t show it and she puts on this dumb act. Zelda and Fitzgerald were both artists. Her a painter and him a writer. Them being 2 different forms of art might have something to do with it. People might have prefered books over looking at paintings. Also her being a woman during this time period has something to do with it. Yes women had better treatment then what they used to have but its still not the same men get. There probably wasn’t a lot of women artists to begin with, so when there is not a lot of something people do not know how to react and will just stick to the norm.
ReplyDeleteshe did not became famous because her paint did not fit into the category of impressionism. she went to give her paintings to the museum and thats what they told her. Her painting was not enough impression. I think is not fair that women should be treated different than man. I think they should have equality in everything.
ReplyDeleteZelda is a multi-profession person. She wrote short stories and novels, she didn’t just write, she also loved painting. She was also good at ballet dancing. Daisy and Zelda are very similar because they are both very rich and wealthy. Since they both always had someone to depend on but themselves, neither of them really knew how to be independent so money was always just handed to them just like that. They both lived in New York and both have one daughter. They both get treated the same way in society because they have money. Some differences between them both is that daisy is married to a guy that has many affairs and doesn’t care about her or her feelings. Zelda is new with the whole money thing so she only cares about being very outgoing and showing her money off. Zelda and her husband because he was a painter and she was a writer but her husband was well more known because woman weren’t really given the same respect as guys back then. Women really didn’t have the same rights as guys did, they didn’t really do writings or paintings so when Zelda did, she didn’t really get popular off of it.
ReplyDeleteZelda’s life was told to be like Daisy’s a bit and that Daisy was inspired by Zelda but between these two there are not that many similar things as we would expect. Daisy was not happily married her husband is cheating on her and having an affair with a married woman. Daisy though is rich and owns her own mansion in East Egg. Zelda was happily married to a writer and was also a painter herself and a bit of a writer too. She was diagnosed with schizophrenic which lead her to undergo treatment in medical institutions for 18 years. Zelda later died in a fire which destroyed mainly of her paintings.
ReplyDeleteThe way that Scott was more famous for the writing that he did instead of the stuff that Zelda painted is because back then in the 1920’s a lot of women didn’t have the rights that men had back then they just looked up to men more than they did women. Especially since they thought men were the only ones who were greater than anyone else back then and they had control over a lot of what women did probably not over Zelda. But the females that sat home they had more stuff to say about those things in that period which is why Scott was more famous for the stuff that he did rather than the paintings that Zelda did back then in the 1920’s until later on in the world.