A window on the world

We thank you for good cooperation in 2007 and wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

As we reflect on the achievements of 2007 and the challenges which await in 2008, we take a look at the world in a global perspective through our new frames.

We also look at the significance of the window in the history of art, and at our own modest role in the history of windows.

Fiberline – widening outlook on our world and art

Fiberline’s window profiles allow the creation of larger expanses of window pane than ever before. In this way we are widening outlook on the world - and inviting the world inside. The primary function of the window has always been to create light and transition between interior and exterior. It has therefore been a source of inspiration to numerous artists over the years, each of whom has interpreted the window in their own personal way.

Udsyn til verden, 2007. Fiberline composites, Middelfart.

Can we rely on what we see?

The Belgian painter René Magritte is famous for his games with contrasts and paradoxes that often trick the spectator. But we are pleased to play along. Because Magritte’s meticulous and detailed reproductions of the objects around us are depicted convincingly, and with such clarity that they almost appear to be more real than the reality.

At first glance we see a window and a vista of fields, woods and sky with scudding clouds. But on closer inspection something seems not quite right. What are those three legs floating under the window, and is that a handle seemingly floating by itself in the middle of the pane? Sharpening our gaze we determine the true state of affairs: we are looking at a painting which replicates the view that is masked by the canvas. But our eye has now become watchful, and most of us will inevitably ask ourselves: What if we move the canvas - will a gap appear in the landscape? Magritte is drawing attention to our tendency to see only what we want to see, or expect to see, to the exclusion of all else.

René Magritte: “The Human Condition”, 1933. Oil on canvas.

An homage to the window and tranquillity

Strandgade 30, Copenhagen, is an address with a unique significance in Danish painting. It was home to the artist Wilhelm Hammershøi, and the focus of more than 60 works created there during the period 1898-1909. In contrast to contemporary fashion the rooms of the apartment were very sparsely furnished. Hammershøi found challenge in restraint. A floor, a window and a door were, for him, ample subject matter. His preoccupation was with light and how light gives life and shape to the objects around us. The theme of this painting is sunlight and how it creates life and contrasts on its passage through window and room; even the smallest details and colour tones become visible. Instead of great landscapes, Hammershøi focused on the mundane, even a speck of dust assuming new significance. This painting by Hammershøi has also been included in the Danish Cultural Canon as a significant heritage work.

Wilhelm Hammershøi: “Dance of the Dust in the Rays of the Sun”, 1900. Oil on canvas. Ordrupgaard Collection.

View of paradise – the painting as an illusion

When the Duke of Mantua wished to decorate the bedroom of his newly built palace he commissioned the leading painter of his day, Andrea Mantegna. As the room received only a small amount of daylight from two windows, Mantegna decided to add a third window - or rather the illusion of a window - in the ceiling. Having recently learned about perspective and perspective-foreshortening he wished to see whether he could use these new techniques to beguile the spectator. His success was total. Even today, more than 500 years after, we delight in allowing our gaze to be seduced by a celestial paradise populated by chubby angels and exotic birds. No wonder this room has also been called “the bridal chamber”, because who would not wish to meet their beloved there under the open sky? But on the morning after the night of love the nagging question remains: Who is the individual leaning over the balustrade watching? A question that is still debated today.

Andrea Mantegna: “The Painted Room”, c. 1476. Fresco. Palazzo Ducale, Mantua.