Dramatically illuminated by the light of a candle, a girl holds open the shutter of her window. Her clothes are in disarray; her unlaced dress revealing a provocative glimpse of her breasts.  The motif of a woman at a window is often interpreted as being a prostitute luring late-night lovers from the street.  Schalcken was one of Dordrecht’s most popular painters. A portrait painter and specialist in scenes lit by candlelight, Schalken lived mainly in Dordrecht, though he spent 1692-97 in England. He achieved international fame with his nocturnal candlelit scenes.

This work is currently on display:

Gallery 3

National Museum Cardiff, level 4

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