After the Rain 

Frits Thaulow captured a slice of life in this painting, with its red brick buildings and reflective, rain-soaked street. Look closer, and you'll see a woman in dark clothing. Notice her proximity to the chickens and her almost spectral presence near the doorway. This figure, framed by the door, recalls similar portrayals throughout art history, evoking feelings of solitude and contemplation. The door itself becomes a symbolic threshold. We can think of Janus, the Roman god of doorways, passages, and transitions, who looks both forward and backward. Here, the woman becomes an intermediary between the private space of the home and the outer world, resonating with a sense of psychological transition. The cyclical nature of the rain—its departure and the renewed life it brings—speaks to themes of cleansing and rebirth, mirroring the ever-turning wheel of human experience. It's a potent reminder of how we are constantly shaped by forces both seen and unseen.