Woman Ironing 1912

Rik Wouters created this painting, Woman Ironing, with oil on canvas. The painting is composed with a series of layered planes that create a shallow depth of field. We observe the domestic space through a range of brushstrokes of color that define the composition. Wouters rejects traditional notions of perspective in favor of a more flattened, abstracted space. The interplay between surface and depth destabilizes our conventional understanding of spatial relationships, inviting us to consider the canvas as a field of pure optical sensation. Each dab of color serves as a signifier, contributing to the overall visual texture and rhythm of the painting. Wouters prompts us to question the boundaries between representation and abstraction. This approach challenges us to look beyond the literal depiction of an interior and to engage with the underlying structures of perception and representation.