We hope everybody enjoys this little article I’ve put together for you on this fine Friday. Today we’ll cover different windows in art throughout history. For those of you thinking this could be a long article, just remember that we’re doing a very brief overview and you’ll get to look at some pretty art like this . . . 

For those of you unfamiliar with this piece it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. He began painting what would be one of history’s most influential works of art, The Last Supper, in 1495. The painting was made using experimental pigments directly on the dry plaster wall and unlike frescos, where the pigments are mixed with the wet plaster, it has not stood the test of time well. Even before it was finished there were problems with the paint flaking from the wall and Leonardo had to repair it. Over the years it has crumbled, been vandalized bombed and restored. Today we are probably looking at very little of the original.

There are some beautiful windows in the background that add lots of natural light to the picture. These look like picture windows. A picture window (which we sell here at Conservation Construction) is a large window in a house. Picture windows usually dominate the room or wall in which it is located, and are often designed or placed to present an attractive view. Picture windows offer clear unobstructed views, and I think we’re seeing something similar in this painting. 

After The Renaissance/ Women In Art

Let’s move on to just after the Italian Renaissance. Women started to become more influential artists of the time. This painting, done by Marie Denise Villers from France 1801, show the wide range with which women had begun painting. I chose to showcase this piece because of the haunting nature of the girls eyes, and the use of light throughout the painting.  Not to mention that it has some amazing windows in the background too. The windows here look like casement windows. Casement windows use a crank to open and they are great for letting in big breezes and clear views. 

 

Van Gogh painted his first Bedroom just after moving into his beloved “Yellow House”—the first place that truly felt like home—in Arles, France, in 1888. He was very pleased with the painting and delighted that artist Paul Gauguin, who moved in a week later, admired it as well. Full of colors inspired by the theories of Neo-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat, this painting is a very faithful depiction of Van Gogh’s bedroom at the time, down to the portraits that appear on the wall. It is now in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Most new modern windows don’t open and shut from the middle like this picture depicts, but double hung windows open on both the top and bottom to get a similar feeling which these types of windows would have offered. 

20th Century Art

Expressionism: rooted in the turn of the century and inspired by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, 20th century art form sought to highlight the expression of emotion and the artist’s inner vision rather than pursue an exact representation of nature. Essentially, it became the precursor for many 20th century trends. You can see these trends in the paintings below. 

The next featured image is from one of my favorite artists of the 19th century, Claude Monet. Monet’s paintings of his water-garden and water-lilies at Giverny occupied him for many years in the latter part of his life and were his last great works. By the end of 1890 Monet was making enough from the sales of his pictures to buy his house at Giverny outright and soon after began improvements to the garden which included the formation of a pond from a marshy tract by damming a stream that ran into the river Epte. He painted Garden Path at Giverny in 1902. There is phenomenal use of color throughout the image, and touches of windows can be seen in his house. 

Still life in front of a window in San Rafael by Pablo Picasso

Rene Magritte painted The Human Condition in 1933. Two of Magritte’s favored themes were the “window painting” and the “painting within a painting.” The Human Condition is one of Magritte’s earliest treatments of either subject, and in it he combines the two, making what may be his most subtle and profound statement of their shared meaning. We’re most likely looking at  single hung window here. Today single hung windows are the most common and versatile windows of our time. They open on the bottom, and most single hung windows are extremely durable and energy efficient. 

The Human Condition

21st Century Art

Finally, we move into 21st century art. Art of the 21st century emerges from a vast variety of materials and means. Many artists regularly and freely mix media and forms, making the choices that best serve their concepts and purposes. Take this piece by Jos Leurs painted in 2018 . . . 

There are an amazing array of windows featured in this painting! It just goes to show that windows are a part of everyday life and can be seen everywhere you look. It’s important to take care of our windows in case some person spontaneously decides to paint our home. I also like his use of color too.

Here’s a mix of modern and ancient techniques with new stained glass windows. Take this stunning window for instance . . . 

Talk about modern art with a twist.

Yes, it’s true you can see windows in art all around the world. You can even find windows to be the work of art itself. Thanks for reading today’s article. We hope we’ve inspired you to go out there and learn more about art in windows. Maybe this article has even taught you to appreciate windows even more or art even more (either way we’re happy if you learned something). If you are in need of new replacement windows you can visit our website here to request your free quote. Comment below on which century had your favorite works of art or even post your favorite art below!