Woman Reading 1915

Agnes Goodsir captured this scene of a Woman Reading, measuring 71 by 91 centimeters, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Note the rosary hanging on the wall behind her. A symbol of faith, it appears here as an echo of centuries of devotion. The rosary's circular form is a potent symbol, recurring across cultures as a representation of cycles, wholeness, and continuity. Consider the cyclical nature of time itself, mirrored in the beads, each prayer a step in an unending journey. This motif resonates with ancient mandalas, Celtic knotwork, and even alchemical symbols. The collective unconscious seems to weave through these forms, evoking a sense of the eternal. The woman's contemplative pose and the rosary evoke feelings of inner reflection and contemplation. Like a serpent biting its own tail, the symbol progresses in a non-linear fashion, resurfacing across time.