Huilende vrouw kijkt door een kier van het gordijn 1865

Curator: Oh, what a melancholic atmosphere! The scale is modest, but the emotional impact is undeniable. Editor: Indeed. Here we have "Weeping Woman Looking Through a Crack in the Curtain," an engraving by Willem (I) Steelink, dating back to 1865. Curator: That title spells it out, doesn't it? She is trapped between inner turmoil and the dull reality seen through the window; that's what the image conveys, regardless of medium, artist, title or anything. The somber tones enhance that sense of confinement, the sense of being observed or perhaps spying oneself in the window. Editor: Precisely. The engraving medium lends itself beautifully to this, the way he plays with light and shadow creates a palpable tension, directing the eye towards the figure, then back into the implied narrative outside the frame. Note the parallelism and counterpoint formed by the vertical window frame to the left, which echoes and sets in relief the more ornamental chair back on the right side of the picture frame, which lends further compositional weight. Curator: Yes, it is more than a study in greyscale, but about framing – isn’t life all about frames? A little humour is needed for the grief…I wonder who the lady in the picture could be. I would bet some of his loved ones; Steelink clearly wanted to communicate his compassion and, probably, sadness. He would never give it up – what would it cost. Is there a message? – no message: a beautiful painting which brings more doubts. That portrait on the background only reminds of mortality. And the woman? I want her freedom to think, choose… or be gone! Editor: Well, such is the genius of romanticism; to stir deep-seated emotional responses. I am struck at how a series of clever formal choices conspire to create a deeply compelling scene, both in terms of its aesthetics and implied narration. Curator: Right – I find the painting a bit overwhelming despite its small dimensions. You captured well what makes the romantic aesthetic effective and evocative. Editor: As you mentioned, an engraving so loaded with a world of meanings, feelings, the life in its contrasts! Thanks!