Laboratory of La Galette 1890 - 1891

Santiago Rusiñol captured this intimate scene of the Laboratory of La Galette. The most striking symbol is the threshold, a powerful motif separating the interior workspace from the outside world. Thresholds have long symbolized transitions and liminal spaces. In ancient Roman religion, Janus, the god of beginnings and doorways, embodies this concept. The threshold appears throughout history, from medieval depictions of the Annunciation, where the Virgin Mary stands on the border between the divine and earthly, to more modern works that explore psychological states. Here, the woman sits upon the steps, a guardian, or perhaps a contemplative figure caught between two worlds. One of labor and the other of leisure. The doorway can represent hope, a passage to a brighter future, or, conversely, a barrier against the unknown. Our feelings are complex, our expectations shifting, and thresholds continue to hold us in a state of anticipation.