At the Window, rue des Trois Frères 1878 - 1879

Camille Pissarro captured this intimate scene, “At the Window, rue des Trois Frères” with pastels. The window, acting as a frame within a frame, divides the composition. Two women are caught up in the domestic sphere, set against the backdrop of the outside world visible through the window. Consider the motif of the window itself. Since antiquity, windows have appeared in art as symbols of perception and awareness. As seen here, the window separates interior life from the outside, mirroring our internal thoughts versus external reality. One recalls Caspar David Friedrich's "Woman at a Window" from 1822, where the window becomes a metaphor for the longing and contemplation. In both images, the figures seem to engage with the external world, but remain enclosed, hinting at a melancholic introspection. This artistic continuity reveals our subconscious attraction to symbols that capture the delicate balance between inner thought and outward experience. The effect is engaging, drawing viewers into an unending cycle of observation and contemplation.