Weeping woman

This picture shows a woman praying in what appears to be the colonnade or crypt of a cathedral. The dark tone of the painting adds to the sombre mood. The woman is kneeling on a small, rough-hewn lectern. But rather than being portrayed upright, she has thrown herself forward, as if in great sorrow or distress. Her bare feet are stretched out behind her, her head half hidden in her arms, while her hands reach back to clutch at her shoulders. The scene is set in a narrow cloister or crypt, whose arches retreat dramatically behind the woman. Enormous tomb stones are propped against the walls. There appears to be another series of arches, more insubstantial, retreating behind the woman's head. The pinkish brown and stony green tones add to the sombre mood of the painting. The fact that the present work is dated is rare in Swanzy's oeuvre. 1939 is the year of the outbreak of the Second World War. As with many pictures of this period the painting may be an allegory for this sorrowful era. Yet it may also convey an image of personal distress in the life of the artist, or someone close to her. Yet the painting may also express prayer or repentance; it is noticeable that two large hands reach out above the woman's head, as if to comfort or bless her. The image of large protective hands reaching from the side of the canvas appears in several paintings by Swanzy. There are also references to William Blake, in imagery and tonality, who remained a powerful influence for Swanzy.
J.C.