Devant la glace 1903

Frederick Carl Frieseke created this painting, Devant la glace, with oil paint. It’s all about softness and light, isn't it? He was interested in depicting the world as this glimmering, hazy vision, and you can see that most clearly in the woman's reflection. Check out how the brushstrokes build up the texture on her dress, like he’s layering feelings rather than just colors. Look at the way the light catches on the gold of the chair. It almost feels like he’s painting a memory, something that's vivid but also a little out of reach. Frieseke, like his contemporary Mary Cassatt, embraced ambiguity. Both artists offer a space of imagination around their artworks. The softness of the brushstrokes allows the viewer to lean into the image and consider what it must have been like to be there, in that room, witnessing this moment of quiet introspection.