Woman sitting by a window sewing 1872

Silvestro Lega painted *Woman sitting by a window sewing* with oil on cardboard; it now resides in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. The intimate scene presents a woman sewing, bathed in soft light, creating a contemplative atmosphere. Lega uses a muted palette and focuses on the interplay between interior and exterior space. The window acts as a structural device, framing both the woman and a view of the outside world, thus contrasting domestic stillness with the activity beyond. Note how the light subtly models form, especially the way it drapes the material, hinting at volume without overt detail. The composition is carefully balanced, using geometric forms to create spatial depth and division. Through his artistic choices, Lega engages with ideas about representation and perception. The act of sewing, traditionally associated with femininity, becomes a vehicle for exploring themes of interiority, labour, and the relationship between the individual and their environment. Lega invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between appearance and reality, and challenges us to reconsider traditional notions of beauty and representation.