Choices! What will it be? #27

Hope you all are having a great life. Today I will write down some thoughts about windows and some about their history, etymology and design as well as their symbolic status. Windows are my choice for the contest named "Choices! What it will be? organized by @patjewell.

Windows for me...!

A window is a link between in and out, between darkness and light, between emptiness and vastness. Or perhaps a stumbling block between freedom and imprisonment, between estrangement and reconciliation and between stiffness and genialness. For me, it is a connection to the immensity of the outer world. When it suffocates inside, everybody has his own window either in this physical world or may be into a world which he wants that must be around him. Window is a symbol of expectancies for freedom.

The brife history of Windows

windows are the ancient companion of homo sapiens. Their evolution along with other architecture is penetrated deep in the roots of history with humans. It started approximately twelve centuries before Christ. Initial forms of windows are in the form of roof vents and provide appropriate opening for light and air.... Then a window cover in different forms was invented like a curtain of fabric, wood pelts and leather etc.

The next thing which was added to this structure was its shutters. Many trails have been made to enhance the efficiency of windows by using different materials like paper fillers, slender sections of marble and some other translucent materials.

Introduction of glass window is in archives of history first made by Romans, specifically in the city of Alexandria. Although the vision was poor, this was still the beginning of modern era windows. To obtain a transparent material it took a millennium, and now we have a multifariousness of windows design, its marshalling, placement, ornamentation etc.

Etymology of windows.

The word window derives from the old nordic expression vinduauga. Actually, this word is an assembly of two words. One is vindr means air and agua means eye.

Since the initial decades of the 13th century, the word window has been reported. Some facts show that such words show the Nordic or Scandinavian impact on the English language before their separation to separate dialects.

Designs in window

On the basis of shapes, pattern, arrangements, orientation, sizes and their a lot of versatility can be found in designs of windows. These can be adjusted according to requirements for the environment.

There are many types of windows, like horizontally sliding windows, casement, fold up or fold down, single or double hung sash window, clerestory window, tilt and turn or slide type of window, French, stained glass window, double pain, hexagonal and many other windows.

Material used in window.

Today, variety of materials are available for windows designing, like for casement Aluminum, iron, composite material, vinyl PVc and many kinds of wood. Selection for window material depends on the durability, heat resistant, cost, quality and its decorative. For the window panes, different types of glass are always the best choice. Because glass is a very good resilient for heat and cold, plus it gives a clear outside view. This is the best material for esthetic approach.

Symbolic approach.

The window is designed for ventilation and to control light transmittance. But in many artworks, literature and even in architectural works, windows are used symbolically.

In arts, windows are the symbol of connection, opportunities, hope, freedom, and can evoke many deeper emotions. Like George O Keeffe paints a symbolic window in her painting called The Barns, Lake George.

Another example is commendable artwork about window symbolism presented by Faith Ringgold. In this painting he used a unique trend of texture painting on a woven fabric and presents multiple window scenes representing different scenarios of black community.

In literature,the window represents a lot of hidden meanings. I love the Emma imaginations through window symbolic scenes. Fir her window is like possible opportunities to escape, but she actually can't gain these. (Emma is the character of Madame Bovary By Gustave Flaubert). There are many other examples that can be cited, but some of the couplets in urdu literature are my favourite. Here I want to share one of these

کھڑکی کے راستے لایا کرتا ہوں

میں باہر کی ساری دنیا کمرے میں

This couplet is by Zeeshan Sahil. With this couplet I windup my post.

I like to invite
@salmarani1994
@ninapenda to participate in this contest.

^{Thanks for your time}

^{With best wishes @mehwish-almas}