
Collection Online as of March 27, 2023
Color on paper
Overall: 21.4 x 14.5 cm (8 7/16 x 5 11/16 in.)
Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1989.337
not on view
The heroine in the doorway is waiting for her
husband to return, but he is delayed, and ominous
monsoon clouds gather in the distance. The
pomegranate tree in her garden has ripe fruits
replete with seeds and bright red juices, suggestive
of her fertility, but a crow is perched there. The
sound of a crow’s voice is an unlucky omen, and
this further compounds her anxiety.
Depictions of tense, relatable situations were made
to elicit empathy in the viewer and emotions that
heightened the pleasure of viewing and savoring
paintings.