Frame c. 1900

This anonymous frame at the Art Institute of Chicago presents us with a fascinating interplay of shapes and symbols. Dominating the composition are the circles and rectangles, interspersed with hearts. These shapes create a visual rhythm, a pattern, that speaks to a deeper need for order and harmony. Consider the circle, an ancient symbol of wholeness, eternity, and the cyclical nature of life. We see it echoed in countless cultures, from mandalas in Eastern religions to the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals. Then there is the rectangle, a symbol of the earthly, of structure and stability, often linked to concepts of order and the rational mind. And who could ignore the heart, a universal signifier of love, affection, and emotional depth, with its roots stretching back to ancient times. Here, these shapes, seemingly simple, engage with our collective memory, stirring something primal within us. Note how the heart shapes the corners of this frame as if an emotional state is the foundation of the artwork and the experience it frames. The heart shape in this context is a container, a carrier of the cyclical and rational symbols this frame contains. The heart reminds us that art, even in its most abstract forms, is deeply rooted in human emotion and experience.