Venster met gordijnen after 1878

This print presents a Louis XVI window adorned with elaborate draperies. The curtains, with their heavy tassels and valances, speak of opulence, a motif that can be traced back to ancient Roman and Renaissance displays of power and wealth. Consider the theatricality of the draped fabric. It’s reminiscent of the proscenium arch in a theatre, framing a view—a spectacle of the outside world carefully curated. The curtain, historically, has served as a symbol of revelation and concealment, inviting the viewer to ponder what lies beyond. It is an invitation to peek behind the veil of appearances. Such drapery echoes in religious art, framing sacred figures, and later, in portraiture, where it signified status. This motif evolves, appearing in Dutch Golden Age paintings and in the works of the Impressionists, each time subtly shifting in meaning but retaining its psychological weight. Like a half-remembered dream, this symbol resurfaces, reminding us of our complex relationship with what we choose to reveal and conceal.