Seven Windows

Close up of Seven Windows

A black portfolio of prints is open, revealing its contents. Three stacked prints are on the left with only the top one visible. To the right, two prints are seen, only the top one completely.
A black portfolio of prints is open, revealing its contents. Three stacked prints are on the left with only the top one visible. To the right, two prints are seen, only the top one completely.
Renée Stout, Seven Windows, 1996; Iris prints on paper, 10 x 12 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Museum purchase: United States Department of Education Fund; © Renée Stout

In creating Seven Windows, Renée Stout has taken the viewer into the world of Madam Ching, who serves as the artist’s alter ego. Madam Ching, a mysterious fortune-teller and root worker, functioned as a vehicle through which she could analyze the complexities of the self and human relationships.

Set up in the form of nine pages from a journal, Seven Windows situates the viewer as voyeur following the daily activities of Madam Ching as she brews perfumes and love potions, buys and sells exotic herbs, and reads letters from friends and lovers. The journal pages are illustrated with tiny drawings, stamps, and cigar labels. The title refers to the seven large windows in the artist’s studio at the time the piece was created. It gave Stout an expansive view of the neighborhood from which much of her inspiration was drawn.

Artwork Details

  • Artist

    Renée Stout
  • Title

    Seven Windows
  • Date

    1996
  • Medium

    Iris prints on paper
  • Dimensions

    12 x 10 in.
  • Donor Credit

    Gift of the United States Department of Education
  • Photo Credit

    © Renée Stout
  • On Display

    No