Literature Archives - Page 2 of 5

Young Girl Reading (c. 1769)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806)

A girl leans into the book’s pages, lips parted as if whispering the words to herself. The folds of her pink dress pool around her, sunlight catching the curve of her neck. She’s forgotten everything but the story in her hands.
La lecture

Georges d'Espagnat (French, 1870–1950)

A woman sits absorbed in a book, bathed in warm light. The room around her hums with quiet energy—loose brushstrokes suggest a world just beyond the page. The scene feels intimate yet alive, as if the act of reading might dissolve into motion at any moment.
Reading in the Garden (1921)

Frederick Carl Frieseke (American, 1874–1939)

Sunlight dapples through the leaves, pooling on her white dress as she turns a page. The garden hums around her—lush greens, the weight of summer air. She’s half-lost in the book, half in the warmth, a quiet pause where time blurs.
Girl Reading A Letter By An Open Window

Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632–1675)

A woman stands by the window, sunlight spilling over her shoulders. The letter in her hands holds her still, its contents pulling her into a private world. The quiet room hums with unspoken words, the moment suspended between reading and reaction. What news has stopped her breath?
Old Woman Reading The Bible (1904)

Albert Anker (Swiss, 1831–1910)

An elderly woman sits hunched over her Bible, fingers tracing the worn pages. The light from the window catches her glasses as she mouths the words silently, lost in devotion. The room is simple, but the weight of her faith fills the space.
Lesender Mönch

Carl Schleicher (Austrian, 1825–1903)

A monk sits hunched over a book, his face half-hidden in shadow. The pages absorb him completely, the quiet intensity of his focus cutting through the dim light. Around him, the world fades—only the words matter now.
Interiør med kunstnerens hustru, der står ved en kommode og læser

Carl Holsøe (Danish, unknown)

A woman stands by the dresser, absorbed in her book. The quiet room holds the weight of her stillness—lamplight pools on wood, shadows cling to corners. Nothing moves but the turning page.
Ophelia (1870)

Pierre-Auguste Cot (French, 1837–1883)

A young woman floats among scattered flowers, her gown billowing in the water’s embrace. Pale petals cling to damp fabric as the current carries her—not struggling, but surrendered. The scene holds both beauty and sorrow, like a lullaby sung to someone already gone.
Lady Reading A Book (1876)

Attilio Baccani (Italian, unknown)

A woman sits absorbed in her book, the pages catching soft light. Her posture leans slightly forward, fingers resting on the text. The quiet intensity of her focus fills the space around her—no distractions, just the slow turn of a page.