(lively music)
(lively music)

Beth: We're looking at a lovely little Friedrich
Beth: We're looking at a lovely little Friedrich

in the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin
in the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin

called Woman at a Window.
called Woman at a Window.

Like so many of Friedrich's paintings,
Like so many of Friedrich's paintings,

we see a single figure from behind.
we see a single figure from behind.

Steven: This is his wife and his studio in Dresden.
Steven: This is his wife and his studio in Dresden.

We see her back, but we don't stay there.
We see her back, but we don't stay there.

Instead, somehow we begin to imagine
Instead, somehow we begin to imagine

what she sees as she looks out this window.
what she sees as she looks out this window.

Beth: We imagine her life in what seems like
Beth: We imagine her life in what seems like

a rather constricted environment and this really
a rather constricted environment and this really

rather small view of the outside world.
rather small view of the outside world.

What we do see appears to be a port,
What we do see appears to be a port,

with some ships; we see water
with some ships; we see water

and a small coastline; and some trees;
and a small coastline; and some trees;

and the vast blue sky above.
and the vast blue sky above.

Steven: That blue sky, of course, is framed
Steven: That blue sky, of course, is framed

by a window that does not open, that's just
by a window that does not open, that's just

above her, with the thinnest wood framing.
above her, with the thinnest wood framing.

That creates a cross, and she's directly below it.
That creates a cross, and she's directly below it.

You do have the sense of the way in which
You do have the sense of the way in which

spirituality must enview her, but she does seem
spirituality must enview her, but she does seem

as if her world is inside this room and that
as if her world is inside this room and that

her only access outside is through this window.
her only access outside is through this window.

You mentioned the harbor, but there is
You mentioned the harbor, but there is

a second kind of symbolism here that I think
a second kind of symbolism here that I think

is important, and that is the mast on the right
is important, and that is the mast on the right

that's close seems to be moving.
that's close seems to be moving.

You do get the sense that the ship
You do get the sense that the ship

is passing slowly, and it becomes such a
is passing slowly, and it becomes such a

perfect metaphor for her life,
perfect metaphor for her life,

as she watches life pass before her.
as she watches life pass before her.

Beth: And the ships that she looks at will move on,
Beth: And the ships that she looks at will move on,

and she will remain where she is,
and she will remain where she is,

within this domestic environment.
within this domestic environment.

We wonder if she's feeling a sense
We wonder if she's feeling a sense

of yearning for more, or that perhaps she's
of yearning for more, or that perhaps she's

expressing a more generalized sense of yearning
expressing a more generalized sense of yearning

and desire for meaning that we see
and desire for meaning that we see

in so many other paintings by Friedrich.
in so many other paintings by Friedrich.

Steven: There's clearly that sense of the quiet
Steven: There's clearly that sense of the quiet

and the contemplative in this painting.
and the contemplative in this painting.

All the things that we're saying are borne out
All the things that we're saying are borne out

in this painting through the subtlest means.
in this painting through the subtlest means.

The sense of restriction that
The sense of restriction that

we're talking about is not because the room
we're talking about is not because the room

in which she is placed is small.
in which she is placed is small.

It's in fact a very large space, it seems,
It's in fact a very large space, it seems,

with a very high ceiling, and of course these
with a very high ceiling, and of course these

large windows that must let lots of light in.
large windows that must let lots of light in.

It's not that.
It's not that.

It's the strictness of the geometry
It's the strictness of the geometry

with which the painting is rendered.
with which the painting is rendered.

Friedrich grew up in Greifswald,
Friedrich grew up in Greifswald,

which was then part of Sweden,
which was then part of Sweden,

and was schooled on Copenhagen, initially,
and was schooled on Copenhagen, initially,

before he went to Dusseldorf to finish his education.
before he went to Dusseldorf to finish his education.

That Northern tradition of the strictness of
That Northern tradition of the strictness of

the geometric is really felt here.
the geometric is really felt here.

The woman, in contrast, though, is curvilinear,
The woman, in contrast, though, is curvilinear,

and so she doesn't fit easily into this geometry,
and so she doesn't fit easily into this geometry,

into the rectilinear in which she's placed.
into the rectilinear in which she's placed.

The ship that seems to be passing also
The ship that seems to be passing also

breaks with the purely rectilinear.
breaks with the purely rectilinear.

That mast is tilting ever so slightly to the right,
That mast is tilting ever so slightly to the right,

as if it's moving forward.
as if it's moving forward.

And so, all of this feels in contrast
And so, all of this feels in contrast

to the perfect verticals and the perfect horizontals.
to the perfect verticals and the perfect horizontals.

Beth: As that mast moves slightly to the right,
Beth: As that mast moves slightly to the right,

her body lists slightly to the left,
her body lists slightly to the left,

breaking that rigid geometry.
breaking that rigid geometry.

And, like so many other paintings by Friedrich,
And, like so many other paintings by Friedrich,

there's a real sense of symmetry and order,
there's a real sense of symmetry and order,

so that we immediately feel that the artist is saying
so that we immediately feel that the artist is saying

something more in these scenes that otherwise
something more in these scenes that otherwise

we could classify as genre scenes or landscapes.
we could classify as genre scenes or landscapes.

Friedrich is trying to imbue them
Friedrich is trying to imbue them

with greater meaning.
with greater meaning.

Steve: Friedrich's technique here is just spectacular.
Steve: Friedrich's technique here is just spectacular.

I mean, you've got this very soft rendering
I mean, you've got this very soft rendering

of the poplars beyond, and the beautiful sky
of the poplars beyond, and the beautiful sky

that seems so translucent,
that seems so translucent,

is if it really does go on forever.
is if it really does go on forever.

It makes the longing of the woman
It makes the longing of the woman

seem even more potent.
seem even more potent.

There's this wonderful linear quality.
There's this wonderful linear quality.

Look at the foreshortening of the shutter
Look at the foreshortening of the shutter

that has been opened, the way in which
that has been opened, the way in which

light plays against it, and its framing
light plays against it, and its framing

and its construction seems so clearly rendered.
and its construction seems so clearly rendered.

Then there's these wonderful other little elements.
Then there's these wonderful other little elements.

The woman's dress, for example,
The woman's dress, for example,

the way it picks up a kind of interior light.
the way it picks up a kind of interior light.

We see that also with the liquids that are in bottles
We see that also with the liquids that are in bottles

to the right, on the sill of the window,
to the right, on the sill of the window,

that seems so warm and so softly lit.
that seems so warm and so softly lit.

So much of the art in Germany and England,
So much of the art in Germany and England,

for example, at this time, of the 19th Century,
for example, at this time, of the 19th Century,

is so full of literary narrative.
is so full of literary narrative.

That is, there's lots of symbolism,
That is, there's lots of symbolism,

there's lots of people,
there's lots of people,

there's a very complex story.
there's a very complex story.

Friedrich is stripping all of that away
Friedrich is stripping all of that away

and giving us the barest invitation
and giving us the barest invitation

to feel those things in ourselves.
to feel those things in ourselves.

It is a poetic invitation for us to enter into
It is a poetic invitation for us to enter into

this space, to enter into this woman's mind.
this space, to enter into this woman's mind.

The image itself is as contemplative as her mood,
The image itself is as contemplative as her mood,

and we're being offered to enter into her mood,
and we're being offered to enter into her mood,

not simply her activity, in a way that is very much
not simply her activity, in a way that is very much

interested in the interior, and her interior experience.
interested in the interior, and her interior experience.

We look at her posture, we look at this room,
We look at her posture, we look at this room,

and we can immediately inhabit her experience
and we can immediately inhabit her experience

in a way that feels very genuine.
in a way that feels very genuine.

(lively music)
(lively music)