Artwork
The Attic Window
The Attic Window is an ink print by Mildred McMillen. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left in graphite: "The Attic Window"; lower right in graphite: Mildred McMillen 1920
About this work
Overview
The Attic Window is a black-and-white woodcut produced in 1920 by American printmaker Mildred McMillen. Executed on wove paper, the work presents a solitary figure positioned beside an attic window, framed by the sloping walls and a steeply pitched roof. The composition is rendered entirely in stark contrast, emphasizing the interior’s geometry and the figure’s contemplative stance.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a lone individual, cloaked in a long coat with a patterned pocket, peering outward through a multi‑pane window. The attic setting, with its ladder and angled walls, suggests a private, perhaps transitional space. The figure’s gaze beyond the window invites speculation about longing, observation, or escape, while the confined interior underscores a sense of isolation.
Technique & Style
McMillen employed the traditional woodcut process, carving sharp, clean lines and solid black planes into a wooden block. The resulting print relies on high contrast between the dense black shapes and the bright paper, producing a geometric simplification of forms. This approach highlights structural elements, walls, roof, ladder, while reducing detail to essential outlines.
History & Provenance
Created in the early post‑World War I period, The Attic Window reflects McMillen’s engagement with modernist printmaking trends in the United States. The work has been held in several private collections before entering a regional museum’s print department in the late 20th century, where it remains part of the institution’s early 20th‑century American prints holdings.
Artist & collection
