Young woman at the window 1888

Curator: Welcome. We are here to explore Paul Gauguin’s 1888 painting, “Young Woman at the Window.” He painted it while he was in Brittany. The canvas is now held in a private collection. Editor: Well, hello there, pensive observer! I find myself drawn into this very specific feeling – is it melancholy, hope, or just a touch of seaside boredom? I love how her intense stare contrasts against the impressionistic landscape. Curator: Absolutely. Gauguin's departure from pure Impressionism is visible. Notice how he is beginning to simplify forms, outlining the figure and creating flattened planes. He’s definitely laying the groundwork for his later, more radical experiments with color and form. The bright colours in the distant landscape pull forward, as it there is no air or space. Editor: Right! And the colours! That bold red of her cap just sings against the muted greens and yellows. It's like a little defiant spark against the vastness of the sea and that moody shoreline. What do you read from this? Curator: There has been plenty of academic discourse concerning the socio-economic and political environment in Brittany in this period and its possible reflection on the woman’s melancholic gaze as she looks out the window. The gaze suggests a disconnect between the figure and her immediate surrounding environment. There is a yearning. Editor: A yearning indeed. This "disconnect," as you put it, could also simply mirror our very human need for some thing or some where else to complete who we are. Curator: A point very well considered, I think, but, that is, perhaps, the reason it has stood the test of time. Editor: Perhaps indeed. It has certainly made my spirit wander just a touch today, so thank you for letting me into it a little deeper. Curator: It’s been my pleasure to analyze with you today and give us both a fresh lens to better enjoy such captivating pieces.