In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Jane and Rochester build an intensely intimate connection through conversations centered around religion and morality. In her modernized adaptation Jane, April Lindner is quick to establish a similar spiritual link between Jane Moore and Nico Rathburn—this time, however, in the form of art. When prompted to divulge her musical preferences, Jane states: “I tend to like classical music. Baroque. Romantic. But not the modern atonal kind” (Lindner 4). This specificity is important, foreshadowing her later connection to Nico: Baroque, in the visual arts, is marked by its sharp contrast between light and dark, intended to evoke grand emotional responses. The musical definition of Baroque is much the same, emphasizing contrast as a dramatic element and positing music as an effective mode of communication. This statement tells us much about Jane herself, but becomes a cue to story progression once Jane is given the initial tour of Nico’s home. Spotting the artwork on the walls, Jane asks, “Was that a real Rothko?” (Lindner 21). Not only does her recognition of the artist signal Jane’s artistic intelligence, it also reveals vital information about Nico himself (besides, of course, his excessive wealth). “Alternately radiant and dark, Rothko’s art” explores themes he considered intimately tied to the human experience—”tragedy, ecstasy, and the sublime” (National Gallery of Art par.6). This description of Mark Rothko aligns with Jane’s taste in music, creating an instantaneous link between herself and Nico in the realm of spirituality and art. For Nico, however, art is spiritual; whereas Rochester monologues on God and the rebirth of his own morality, Nico Rathburn channels his realization of internal transformation into his music.
Lindner, April. Jane. Kindle ed., Poppy, 2010.
“Mark Rothko: Introduction.” National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, n.d., https://www.nga.gov/features/mark-rothko.html.
"What is Baroque Music?" Music of the Baroque, Baroque, n.d., https://www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis.