Irmela sitting in the garden c. 1884

Wilhelm Steinhausen's drawing presents a young woman sitting in a garden, framed by an arch of flowers. The garden, a symbol of paradise and purity, evokes associations with the Virgin Mary in the Hortus Conclusus. This enclosed garden motif, historically resonant with spiritual symbolism, harks back to medieval representations of female virtue and seclusion. Consider, for instance, Botticelli's depictions of Venus surrounded by flora, each bloom carefully chosen for its symbolic weight. The act of enclosing a figure within nature suggests protection but also a kind of contemplative isolation. The slightly melancholic pose of the woman, with her gaze directed downward and her hands clasped, stirs emotions that resonate through ages. Such gestures remind us of the perpetual human experience of introspection, echoing in the works from antiquity to the Renaissance. The garden, thus, is not merely a backdrop but a mirror reflecting the soul's quest for peace. These symbols, imbued with collective memory and subconscious understanding, create a potent, timeless dialogue. Each viewing becomes a personal and historical encounter.