Saturday, September 06, 2008

Women at windows


On my desk, I have a postcard of this painting by Caspar David Friedrich. It is called Woman at the Window. I have been pleasantly surprised this week to find similarly themed pictures on two of my favourite blogs. On 60goingon16, you will find Carl Holsoe's Woman seated at a window and Musings from a Muddy Island shows A length of thread by Eduoard Vuillard.

I was so struck by the coincidence that I entered 'woman at window' in my search engine and came up with the following on a single page:
  • Window by Degas
  • Ironing by Degas
  • Woman at Window by Eastman Johnson
  • Young sewer at window by Felix Valloton
  • The Goldfish Window by Childe Hassam
In some of the paintings, the window is simply the source of light but in others there is a sense of wistfulness, a longing to be out in the world that is glimpsed through the window. I like to gaze, with the woman in my picture, at the forest and the masts of the yachts and imagine.

7 comments:

  1. Another "at window" painting, called No Walk Today, shows a little girl at a window, dressed up in a fancy Victorian dress and hat, staring wistfully out through a window.

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  2. Thanks, Carolyn, I have just looked it up. How sad and how Victorian!

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  3. Another happy coincidence! I suspect that we are looking at and posting pictures of women and windows because the weather is so foul. And we are all stuck behind them. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Almost 'No Walk This Summer'.

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  4. Lovely painting, M. I hadn't twigged that D had posted a woman at window pic and then I did the same a few days later. It was certainly not intentional on my part but may have been working away subliminally! Anyway, I've posted a visual reply to this on Musings.

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  5. Lovely picture. I think I have a few "window pictures" too - I'll check when I'm back home.
    Margaretha

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  6. I hope you are enjoying your island, Margaretha. I look forward to seeing your pictures of windows. I now find myself looking out for paintings where windows are used as a focal point.

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I love to read your comments and promise that I will reply as soon as I can leave my garden, sewing room or kitchen!