"The Art Teacher" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

. It originally appeared on his

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP), '' Waiting for a Want'', released by

DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label operated until 200 ...

in June 2004 as a preview of his fourth studio album, ''

Want Two ''Want Two'' is the fourth album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The album was released on November 16, 2004. Four of the tracks on this album were released in the summer of 2004 as the EP '' Waiting for a Want'' on t ...

'', which was released by

Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...

in November 2004. The lyrics in the

piano ballad A ballade (from French ''ballade'', , and German ''Ballade'', , both being words for "ballad"), in classical music since the late 18th century, refers to a setting of a literary ballad, a narrative poem, in the musical tradition of the , or to a on ...

describe a middle-aged woman's recollection of an unrequited love for her teacher. The song explores gender and sexuality, and its music has been compared to work by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

. "The Art Teacher" has received a generally positive reception, and appears on other releases in Wainwright's discography, including ''Live at the Fillmore'', a concert film accompanying ''Want Two''. The song also appears on '' Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright'', a

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

, and the live album '' Rufus Wainwright: Live from the Artists Den'', both of which were released in 2014.

Composition

"The Art Teacher" was written by Rufus Wainwright. According to the singer, the song was inspired by a

heterosexual Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...

male teacher who spoke of his infatuated female students. Wainwright recalled: The music in the song has been compared to

's work, with Wainwright's "round vocals eapingfrom deep lows to piqued highs". According to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', the

ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...

song has a simple harmony and melody, and sounds like a Philip Glass composition." ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

Stephen Deusner Stephen M. Deusner is an American music critic and part-time record store clerk who lives in Bloomington, Indiana. A native of Tennessee, he has contributed to Pitchfork Media (including ''the Pitchfork 500''), ''Salon'', '' CMT'', ''American Songwr ...

described "The Art Teacher" as "a woman remembering her first love, the instructor of the title who turned her on to Romantic painter

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulen ...

", with the story told "over a Philip Glass prism of piano chords, a plaintive horn, and a slightly sped-up tempo". Youa Vang of ''

City Pages ''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a ...

'' described the song as melancholic, with a "rumbling" piano. The lyrics in the

describe a middle-aged woman's recollection of an " unrequited schoolgirl crush". Bud Scoppa of '' Paste'' characterized the song as a short story "in which a lonely woman looks back on a delirious schoolgirl crush", and ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' Danny Eccleston said Wainwright " nhabitsa woman's lifelong obsession with the titular pedagogue, as she relives a school trip to an art museum". According to Vang, the song tells the story "of a young girl who fell in love with her art teacher, telling how first loves are always the most intense and how no one after can compare". In 2014, ''

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

'' Marc Burrows called the song an exploration of Wainwright's sexuality. In addition to Turner, the song's lyrics reference the painters

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

, and

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

as the teacher escorts his students through the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Recordings and performances

"The Art Teacher" originally appeared on Wainwright's EP, '' Waiting for a Want'', released by

in June 2004 as a preview of his fourth studio album, ''

'', which was released by

in November 2004. The track was recorded live at Le Metropolis in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

by Guillaume Bengle and Rod Shearer;

Marius de Vries Marius de Vries (born 1961) is an English music producer and composer. He has won a Grammy Award from four nominations, two BAFTA Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award. Education Marius de Vries was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School, Bedford ...

is credited as the producer. According to ''The Guardian''

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...

, the live recording is "unadorned – you can hear Wainwright gasping for breath between each line". The EP version is slightly different from the ''Want Two'' version, which features an overdubbed horn solo. The song appears on other releases in Wainwright's discography, including ''Live at the Fillmore'', a concert film accompanying ''Want Two''. The ''Want Two'' version also appears on '' Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright'', a

released in February 2014 by

Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...

in Australia and Ireland, and in other nations subsequently. Wainwright performs "The Art Teacher" on the live album '' Rufus Wainwright: Live from the Artists Den'', which was recorded in 2012 and released by Artists Den Records and Universal Music Enterprises in March 2014. Wainwright performed the song on

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

's "Tiny Desk Concerts" series in August 2012. In December 2012, he sang "The Art Teacher", among other songs, at the

Grammy Museum at L.A. Live The Grammy Museum is an interactive, educational museum devoted to the history and winners of the Grammy Awards. The Museum has interactive touch-screens, videos, recording booths, and a collection of historical music artifacts including costum ...

's Clive Davis Theater as part of the museum's "An Evening With" series. Wainwright performed the song on the 22nd episode of

American Public Media American Public Media (APM) is an American company that produces and distributes public radio programs in the United States, the second largest company of its type after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and oper ...

's program ''Wits'' ("

Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on ''F ...

with Rufus Wainwright"), which aired in April 2013, and during his appearance at

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

for

The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

, which was broadcast by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

in September 2014. Wainwright has also performed the song live in concert. In his review of Wainwright's 2016 concert at Bristol's

Colston Hall Bristol Beacon, previously known as Colston Hall, is a concert hall and Grade II listed building on Colston Street, Bristol, England. It is owned by Bristol City Council. Since 2011, management of the hall has been the direct responsibility of ...

, Lou Trimby wrote: "Wainwright also writes brilliantly from the point of view of a woman – a prime example being 'The Art Teacher' which tells one of the saddest stories committed to music. His rendition convinced you that he was the female protagonist, not just playing a part but inhabiting her psyche."

Reception

"The Art Teacher" has received a generally positive critical reception. Alexis Petridis called the song "lovely". In a review of ''Waiting for a Want'', Bud Scoppa said "The Art Teacher" and "This Love Affair" were more engaging than the EP's two other tracks ("

Gay Messiah "Gay Messiah" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his EP, '' Waiting for a Want'', released by DreamWorks Records in June 2004 as a preview of his fourth studio album, ...

" and "Waiting for a Dream").

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

said the song "is worth saving" in his review of ''Want Two'', in which he gave the album a "B−" rating. In Danny Eccleston's review of ''Live from the Artists Den'', he describes "The Art Teacher" as "a great, great song" and one of Wainwright's "best-loved numbers and for good reason". He writes, "It's transformational ... the tragedy of her unspoken love seems to resonate endlessly, as if bouncing mercilessly around in your chest." Sarah Metz, a media arts specialist for the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

and a contributor to its "Art Works Blog", related "The Art Teacher" to one of her own experiences in her 2015 article, "My Artist Crush: Rufus Wainwright": "I had developed a huge crush on one of my English teachers in high school, and was in awe of how he perfectly captured those feelings in a four-minute song." In ''The Cambridge Companion to the Singer-Songwriter'' (2016), Katherine Williams said the pronoun shifts within the song's lyrics allow Wainwright "play between genders", and noted that the singer usually sings in the first person. In 2008, Brandon Summers of

The Helio Sequence The Helio Sequence is an American indie rock duo from Beaverton, Oregon, signed to Sub Pop. The band consists of Brandon Summers on vocals and guitars and Benjamin Weikel on drums and keyboards. History Summers and Weikel formed The Helio Sequ ...

said the song introduced him to Wainwright's music, and that he now considers the singer-songwriter an artist he most admires. "The Art Teacher" appears on the soundtrack to Peter Hinton's 2013 stage adaptation of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband i ...

'' (1892).

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

of ''Want Two''. *

– voice, piano * Guillaume Bengle – engineering *

– producer * Isobel Griffiths – contracting (horns) * Rod Shearer – engineering

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Art Teacher 2000s ballads 2004 songs LGBT-related songs Rufus Wainwright songs Song recordings produced by Marius de Vries Songs about educators Songs written by Rufus Wainwright