Looking out the Window
Artist
Robert W. Weir
(American, 1803 - 1889)
Date1850
MediumWatercolor
Dimensions13 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.
ClassificationsWatercolor
Credit LineHarriet Russell Stanley Fund and through exchange
Terms
Object number1981.71
Description"Looking out the Window", one of a series of similar watercolors which he executed from 1843-50, is a delightful, charming genre scene that is reminiscent of a 17th-century Dutch interior. Two women gaze out the window of a Spanish or English house that appears to possibly date from the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance judging by its pointed arch carvings in the woodwork and the vibrant stained glass windows above. The women seem to expect company as the lady with her dog on the left leans forward on the chair and her companion eagerly looks on. The sunlight imbues the scene with an incredible golden glow and warmth. Weir's masterful application of shimmering golds further illuminates the interior, and he subtly juxtaposed this light with the shadows at the right of the composition. "Looking out the Window" possesses a Romantic, nostalgic quality in its beauty and perfection which suggests that it may have been intended as a book illustration. On View
Not on view
