Bourg Breton Plestin 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen rendered this image of Bourg Breton Plestin with ink on paper. Here, the quaint domiciles stand shoulder to shoulder, their uniform facades punctuated by windows. The windows, like eyes, hold a unique significance across cultures. They're seen as portals to the soul, or frames through which one perceives the world. From Renaissance paintings depicting light streaming through windows as divine intervention, to Romantic-era works where windows framed solitary figures gazing at nature, their symbolism has varied through time. Consider Caspar David Friedrich’s “Woman at a Window”, in which the motif conveys longing and introspection. This reflects a deep psychological need to connect with something beyond the self. Steinlen, whether consciously or not, evokes this visual language. By giving the houses these window-eyes, he engages our innate fascination with the familiar yet mysterious. The image reminds us of home as both a physical structure and a repository of memories and emotions.