Contrejour - Woman seated at a Window (recto)Draped Woman standing by a Mantlepiece (verso)
- Artist: Ethel Walker
- Date: 1938
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Contrejour – Woman seated at a Window (recto) Draped Woman standing by a Mantlepiece (verso)” by Ethel Walker. The work dates from 1938 and is executed in oil on canvas, a medium that gives Walker’s figures a soft, luminous quality. The front side shows a woman seated by a large window, the light pouring in creating a dramatic contrast between the warm interior and the cool exterior. Her posture is relaxed, yet the composition hints at a quiet moment of reflection. Turning the canvas, the back side features a second woman draped in a flowing garment, standing by a mantlepiece. The light here is gentler, casting subtle shadows that suggest an intimate, domestic setting. Walker’s brushwork is delicate; she captures the texture of fabric and the gentle play of light with a painterly touch that feels almost Impressionist in its handling of tone. The overall composition invites the viewer to consider themes of solitude and domesticity, while the dual scenes provide a dialogue between two intimate moments captured on the same canvas. The painting’s 1938 provenance places it in a period where modernist ideas were still evolving, and Walker’s work reflects a personal, lyrical approach to everyday life.
See it in person
Contrejour - Woman seated at a Window (recto)Draped Woman standing by a Mantlepiece (verso) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
