Symbolism and the meaning behind the painting:
The Waiting Widow lost her true love at an early age and is unable to comprehend life without him by her side. She mourns his death with every breath she takes and has wept an ocean in his absence.

She binds her eyes with a blindfold because the world holds no beauty for her any longer and she has eyes for no other. She holds the mask in her hands by her heart, representing her lost soulmate.

The doorway behind her is the path to the afterlife. The walls are covered in lychen and moss, symbolsing life, except for the cold stone door frame which is the boundary between the two worlds. The vines symbolise the arteries of the heart, the small vine leading onto the stone door frame and turning blue respresents the final heartbeat of all who pass through the doorway.

The Widow waits by the doorway, waits to die so she can be reunited with her lost lover.