[title not known] 

Editor: This intriguing pencil sketch is by Elizabeth Rigby, dating to around the mid-19th century, currently held at the Tate. It depicts a woman standing before a large arched doorway, and I’m struck by the overall sense of expectation. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a potent visual encoding of Victorian ideals of womanhood and domesticity. The architectural elements serve as a framing device, almost a proscenium, for the woman. What does the partially opened door suggest to you? Editor: Perhaps an invitation or a threshold to the unknown? Curator: Precisely. The arch is reminiscent of a halo; the woman’s posture and attire seem to signal both confinement and possibility. Editor: I never considered the religious symbolism before. It adds another layer of meaning. Curator: Yes, Rigby uses the vocabulary of visual symbols to explore complex social narratives about women's roles. Editor: This has really opened my eyes to the different cultural contexts in which this artwork might be seen.