The Story of a Fallen Woman with a Twist!

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The vase sort of appears like a face, or maybe some of the wall art, but, I see no faces here, unless I'm being extraordinarily blind (which, depending on the time of day, isn't truly out of the ordinary for me)
 
I think this might be what @Harms88 is talking about? It does kind of look like a face - peering around the edge of the mirror, reflected in another mirror?
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As the dog once said when asked to help bake bread by the Little Red Hen, "Not I". But instead of it being not helping bake bread, I cannot take credit for pointing it out. That would be @KHyatt that spotted the face.
 
OK - I had to finally turn on my computer and look at a clearer image. Not a face, but something like the ornate trim seen around the window in the background. Darn. Thought I was on to something.

You all keep looking at nice pictures and I'll keep my thoughts to myself. ;-)
 
It is a very ornate setting for sure, and the idea of music lessons @byron ed proposed truly touched a chord (key of 'C'', of course).
It also sparks the onlooker's conflict of emotion, such as 'stranglehold' upon the young man. Don't harm his pretty face, you know. The fleeting moments of a lady's thought when confronted by a #Me Too situation, where she must decide on which course of action to initiate does give that look of surprise a rather bona fide concept. Exit stage forward?
Lubliner.
 
A device I’ve seen in Victorian portraits of young, innocent girls is a dark and mysterious/villainous male figure peering at the subject through a window.

Is this portion of the wallpaper another example of the mysterious or dangerous male figure?

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The design of the wallpaper is normal at the top of the painting, but beside the woman the design is distorted and confused. Part of it appears to be a figure, but it's not quite human. It appears to be facing or moving toward her. Could it symbolize someone evil trying to lead her astray? Could it also symbolize her as a victim, becoming deformed and lost in the tall weeds? Between her and the figure is a gold object that looks like a horn of some sort. Maybe it sounds an alarm that has caused her change of heart, and it is the one thing separating her from evil, confusion, and destruction.
 
I think this might be what @Harms88 is talking about? It does kind of look like a face - peering around the edge of the mirror, reflected in another mirror? [blue circled area]

I can marginally make out a face peeking around the frame, but for me it's easier to discern a goat face just above that (here outlined):

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(Goats being an oft-employed symbol of the devil and temptation).

Still I don't think the artist intended either face image, or a shadowy male personage in the shadow of the woman -- to note that the artist was not at all subtle with his other symbols in the painting.

imho this is in mode of seeing characters in cloud shapes or star patterns. The human eye is evolutionarily pre-disposed to picking out camouflaged game or predators in the bush.
 
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I can marginally make out a face peeking around the frame, but for me it's easier to discern a goat face just above that (here outlined):

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(Goats being an oft-employed symbol of the devil and temptation).

Still I don't think the artist intended either face image, or a shadowy male personage in the shadow of the woman -- to note that the artist was not at all subtle with his other symbols in the painting.

imho this is in mode of seeing characters in cloud shapes or star patterns. The human eye is evolutionarily pre-disposed to picking out camouflaged game or predators in the bush.

It looks like there is an intentional animal image in the mirror's reflection of an object on the mantel. This appears to be a set of bookends shaped like owls, commonly associated with wisdom. It's interesting that she sees this only in the mirror, which is the window to her better judgment (where she "sees the light") and the view that represents escape from the confines of the lover's room. Although these are almost certainly a pair of bookends, there appear to be no books between them. Does this suggest that her "learned" teacher only possesses the trappings of knowledge or wisdom, but not those actual virtues?

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The disparity between appearance and reality seems to be a theme in the depiction of the room. It's elegantly furnished with wallpaper, a rug, gilt-framed mirrors, and other gold accents. The piano case seems to be made of some exotic wood. Everything would otherwise represent wealth and comfort, but small details, besides the distorted image in the wallpaper, suggest it is actually a place of disarray and degradation. The room has a large, bright window, but the interior is dark. The mirror's reflection of the window is nearly the only light in the room because of the awning that's visible just outside. The only other light is the shaft that falls on the unraveled yarn. Maybe the cat tore apart a needlework project or unwound a ball of yarn. Does anyone know if the variegated color means anything? I'd bet that the cat also tore the wrapping paper off the dropped sheet music. (I love cats and don't mean to malign this one. He just seems to have been given a sinister role in this scene.) The fallen glove and dropped sheet music are further signs of disarray and the man's failure to appreciate the true value of anything.
 
All these close-ups and interpretations appear to have missed the black and white photo/painting sitting behind the clock. It shows a lady with her hands clasped just as our young mistress has. Likewise I begin to wonder just how much subtle theme the artist originally intended, and whether he would afterward embellish the mere mention of themes presented to the eye. In any art such as this, the critic and reviewer may see much more detail than the artist, only realizing the importance to others once it is pointed out. Such as:
Critic; "Oh I like that idea of sorcery, bewitchery, and seduction."
Artist wondering aloud; "Oh yes, I left out the cobwebs and spider on purpose. I had thought maybe in the window reflection, but did not want to be so boldly obvious."
Critic: "Or little dust-devils!"
Lubliner.
 
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