"Window Shopping" by Sperry Andrews, Amer., (1917-2005)

Pen and Brush and Ink Drawing, ca. 1941, 10-13/16 x 14-7/8, signed with initials in ink i.r. verso, on cream wove paper. This drawing shows a group of soldiers off duty in a restaurant gazing at two young women outside deciding whether to venture in. Andrews has included his self portrait profile in sillouette at right. The isolation and loneliness the artist felt far from home while serving his country is revealed in a small group of works on paper he made showing soldiers at their leisure noticing the local young women in their vicinity. There is often a formal separation, as with the window framing the two women here, which adds the elements of uncertainty and anticipation we can all empathize with.