Lucas Museum's Eclectic Collection Evokes Gilded Age Ambitions

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening in Los Angeles, presents a mix of Star Wars artifacts and works by artists like Frida Kahlo, reflecting George Lucas's personal vision. The review compares the museum to the eccentric collections of Gilded Age patrons, noting its scale and idiosyncrasy. Lucas, who took direct creative control after leadership changes, has shaped the institution as a culmination of his career.

The museum's path to Los Angeles was circuitous, with earlier proposals for San Francisco and Chicago abandoned partly due to Lucas's refusal to bend to critics. The project ultimately took 17 years to realize, and Lucas has described the process as nearly breaking his will. His wife, Mellody Hobson, has also played a significant role in the institution's development.

The collection deliberately blurs boundaries between high and low culture, placing fine art alongside popular entertainment. Works by Frida Kahlo share space with comic book panels, while Norman Rockwell's paintings are presented near Star Wars production artifacts. Lucas frames this as celebrating "narrative art," which he calls "the people's art," though critics have dismissed the approach as sentimental.