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.
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
