Two Arab Women c. 1905

John Singer Sargent captured "Two Arab Women" with oil on canvas. Observe how Sargent uses the motif of the threshold. The women sit at a doorway, a symbol heavy with meaning. Across cultures, thresholds represent transitions, passages from one state to another. Consider Roman traditions where the threshold was sacred, guarded by deities, marking the boundary between the public and private. Here, the threshold divides the illuminated interior from the dark beyond, a liminal space occupied by figures in repose. This motif evokes the ancient symbolism of Janus, the two-faced god of doorways, looking to both the past and future. The doorway is not merely architectural; it's psychological, inviting us to reflect on the boundaries of perception and understanding. Just as the figures are poised between worlds, so too are we, the viewers, drawn into the depths of cultural memory, seeking to decipher the silent language of symbols passed down through time.