Woman at a Window

The artistic depiction of people looking out of windows has appeared in several different art movements in recent centuries, making memorable appearances in the careers of some of the most famous artists in history. Friedrich here adds his own contribution as a Woman looks out from her home.

This famous German painter captured many scenes from the angle of behind a figure, but not normally from internal rooms of a house. He normally preferred outdoor work, where landscape drawings produced en plein air could be taken back into his studio and developed into oil paintings. Perhaps his choice of location is due to his figure being a woman dressed in domestic attire, maybe seeking to illustrate her role in society. Symbolism appears throughout his career and it is hard to imagine him painting a strong male soldier or a farmer, for example, in a setting such as this. It could even be that the artist wanted to see women with a greater variety of roles within society of that period.

This particular painting dates from 1822 and can now be found at the Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen in Berlin. Much of this artist's best work is spread thinly around various national and regional art galleries and museums in Germany, with others having travelled further afield. Further research into this painting has uncovered the location of this scene - it is actually the artist's own studio, and the model is believed to be his wife, Caroline. Pinpointing these details has enabled us to understand more about the rest of the painting, such as that she is looking out across the River Elbe. The artist concentrates on the angles of this painting, with clear horizontal and vertical lines visible in many items of the room.

The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin has amongst the finest collections of German art in the world and besides several other significant works from Friedrich's career, there are also other key names featured in their permanent collection such as Josef Danhauser, Theodor Hildebrandt, Ernst Lau, Johan Christian Dahl, Eduard Magnus and Adolph von Menzel. It is important to check before visiting any art gallery or museum if you are seeking to view a specific artwork as they maybe loaned out at the time that you intend to visit.