dessert… AND FOR
LOCAL ARTIST
“LET THEM EAT CAKE!”
10 COBB LIFE | APRIL 2019
HITS THE SWEET SPOT
WITH LUSH PAINTINGS
WRITTEN BY AMANDA MORRIS
According to legend, when Queen of
France Marie Antoinette was told her
subjects had no bread, she apathetically
replied, “Let them eat cake.”
More than two centuries later, Austell artist Laura
Shull has revived this story by painting the queen
devouring cake by the handfuls. The opulence for
which Marie Antoinette was reviled is transferred
into the lush painting through her dress, her hair
and even the cake itself. The title of Laura’s piece is
simply, “Cake.”
For her piece, Shull was inspired by the
Rococo style, popular in 18th century France. The
style is defi ed by elaborate ornamentation, pastel
and gold colors and playful, even witty themes.
“I really love how everything is ornate and
organic and over-the-top,” the 32-year-old said. In
“Cake,” Shull skillfully employs the Rococo style -
the overindulgence of the cake, the lush brushstrokes,
the richness of the fabric and the curvy
frills of her dress are all classic elements of the
style.
“Cake,” however, does not stand alone. The
painting belongs to a series of Shull’s paintings
called, “Sweets.” Another delectable painting in this
Austell artist Laura Shull has revived the story of Marie
Antoinette by painting the queen devouring cake by the handfuls.