Desperate Housewives: the paintings from the opening title

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Andy Renmei

Desperate Housewives is a multi-awarded american tv show about housewives and their every day lifes. We look at the art from the opening credits.

You can see the animation on the link below:

American Gothic, by Grant Wood

You can see that the house roof on the background joins the couple’s head as a simbology of the rural american family. The composition is very vertical, their bodies seem to be stretched.

The Arnolfini Portrait, by Jan van Eyck

Many people may think that the woman is pregnant, but it’s not the case. Even though the couple is the protagonist, their arms are united in a way that guides our eyes to a strong focal point, which is the central mirror in the background.

Adam and Eve, by Lucas Cranach

The lack of facial emotion is balanced with the body language. Adam shows doubt about what’s going to happen. Eve is ready to chance mankind’s destiny.

Couple Arguing and Romantic Couple, by Robert Dale

Well.. I was surprised to discover that the artist who made this painting isn’t Roy Lichtenstein…