The artwork “At the Window” was created by the artist Paul Gauguin in 1882, originating from Paris, France. This still life is painted using oil on canvas and is representative of the Impressionist art movement. Currently, the artwork is housed at the Hermitage Museum located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The artwork depicts a simple yet evocative arrangement of objects placed on a table, bathed in soft, natural light suggesting the presence of a window nearby. A robust, earthenware jar takes center stage, with its rustic texture and warm, orange hues, which contrast sharply with the soft yellows of the draped tablecloth beneath it. Beside it, an ornate and shapely glass bottle captures the light, creating interesting reflections and highlights that showcase Gauguin’s attention to detail and mastery of rendering different materials. In the foreground, a lone lemon is accompanied by its subtle shadow, and a transparent glass filled with water is juxtaposed with the solidity of the other objects. Small, yet discernible, sugar cubes are strewn in front of the lemon, providing an additional textural element to the composition. Despite the stillness of the scene, there’s a palpable sense of everyday life and a particular moment captured in time, emblematic of the Impressionist focus on the fleeting effects of light and color.
