What is happening in this picture?

A lot is going on in this painting, although it may seem simple at first glance. Usually, when we interpret or analyze art, we start with what we observe objectively, and then move on to make inferences or interpretations about what the painting might mean, the argument it might be trying to make, or the scene it's trying to set.

In this case, we can start by observing the faces of the man and the...

A lot is going on in this painting, although it may seem simple at first glance. Usually, when we interpret or analyze art, we start with what we observe objectively, and then move on to make inferences or interpretations about what the painting might mean, the argument it might be trying to make, or the scene it's trying to set.

In this case, we can start by observing the faces of the man and the girl. The girl holds a letter, and appears calm, or bored. The older man, however, appears to be more interested in what the girl is reading: he is adjusting his glasses and reaching towards the girl and the letter. The girl's face is smooth and still while the man's is expressive and suggestive.

Next, we can look at the relationship between the two figures. They are in a darkened room, and the man is standing very close to the girl. This suggests intimacy; perhaps they are family members. The girl sits at a desk with books and a quill. The fact that they are reading this letter at night and at a writing desk suggests secrecy and urgency. However, the man seems to feel this urgency more than the girl does (looking, again, at their faces).

Now, we can start making inferences to form a "reading" or interpretation of the painting. Perhaps the man is the girl's father, and she has just received a letter from a suitor she is not interested in, but who is wealthy (thus explaining her boredom and the father's heightened interest). Perhaps it is a letter from a far-flung family member, and the girl has read it first, and the father is craning his neck to get a look. It's hard to know which interpretation is the "correct" one without a statement from the artist, but these are examples of things we might infer from our observations of the painting.

What's apparent, though, is that there seems to be a relationship of control between the man and the girl; he feels entitled to read her letter. The urgency is also evident, because of the dark room.