A Woman and a Young Man at a Window c. 1770 - 1780

Editor: Here we have Johann Andreas Herrlein's "A Woman and a Young Man at a Window," created sometime between 1770 and 1780. It strikes me as quite intimate, the way they're framed in the window… What pulls you into this scene? Curator: That window *is* rather magical, isn’t it? For me, it's a threshold. Are they looking in or out? Perhaps they are suspended, not unlike the flower in its pot. I think of childhood secrets and stolen moments. And there is that dark background – a wonderful void from which their expressions emerge, questioning, almost challenging. What secrets do you suppose that flower holds, the one she holds so delicately? Editor: A secret language of flowers, maybe? Or is she contemplating its beauty? What do you think the artist is saying by not having them directly engage with the viewer? Curator: It’s such a curious choice, isn't it? It almost feels voyeuristic. They exist in their own private sphere, seemingly unaware of our gaze. Or perhaps it is a commentary on portraiture itself, suggesting a distance even within representation. It is almost as though they are actors in their own play. Editor: So, is it a genre scene? Or is it a reflection on being seen, or not seen? I’m fascinated by this. Thanks for highlighting aspects that I would otherwise miss. Curator: It makes one pause, doesn’t it? Art is just that, a pause button to explore deeper. Maybe, just maybe, these young people can help me discover a lost moment in time... a little more insight into youth.