The Girl by the Window

The Girl by the Window by Edvard Munch: Standing before a window in the dead of night, a young girl draws back a curtain to gaze at the street from her darkene…

What to notice

For The Girl by the Window, start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving to another Edvard Munch work.

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Standing before a window in the dead of night, a young girl draws back a curtain to gaze at the street from her darkened room. Deep shadows envelop the interior, obscuring all but the suggestion of a rounded piece of furniture at the lower right. The darkness, combined with the sharply tilted floor, gives a sense of precariousness and isolation to the figure. Loosely applied brown, blue, and violet tones enhance the melancholy atmosphere. The window serves as a symbolic barrier, separating the interior from the ou…