To The Lighthouse

‘To the Lighthouse’ is a book by Virginia Woolf which explores the passage of time and, interestingly for me, has a connection with Cornwall.  In addition, there is a painter in the novel by the name of Lily Briscoe, who is painting a portrait. Upon finishing the painting and seeing that it satisfies her, she realises that the work has been a question of balancing a multitude of impressions over a ten year period in an effort to reach  an objective truth about the sitter, Mrs Ramsay.  This and life itself is more important to her than the idea of leaving some sort of legacy in her work. Lily Briscoe’s meditations on painting are a way for Woolf to explore her own creative process, since Woolf thought of writing in the same way that Lily thought of painting. Among the book’s many tropes and themes are those of time, loss, subjectivity, the nature of art and the problem of perception. In this painting, the young woman looks out directly at the viewer, almost asking something of you or inviting you in.