Vaudois

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Barry W. Hollritt, 2009

There is a mystique to this absolutely alluring photograph that I have yet to capture and more than likely never be able to do.  The image is aloof, warm, provocative and mesmerizing to me.  I had been in Geneva, Switzerland in the dead of winter and was out in the early evening looking for a restaurant to have dinner in.  It was a kind of night where you are searching for some warmth in a city far from home and you keep looking at the windows you pass as you wander through the streets.  I remember approaching this small restaurant.  From a front window there was a warm light of an incandescent lamp falling onto the street pavement.  I moved closer to the window and peered in through the glass.  There to my astonishment behind the glass sat a single cat staring out toward me with a gaze that locked right onto my own eyes as I peered in!  The name “Vaudois” has a meaning that I believe relates to a rebellious Christian sect of the 11th century.  It seemed quite a rebellious name for both a sect and this tiny little restaurant tucked away on o a side street of Geneva.  There also is a culinary area of Switzerland that is related to the name Vaudois, so it might be that as well.  I was captivated by the stare of the wonderful little cat.  I took a few exposures of the wonderful little creature but this one very special image is the one that captures the seductive eyes.   It’s the eyes of the feline in this image that captures the warmth behind the glass and doesn’t share the cold of the night outside as the shutter clicked.  I feel as if the eyes were looking deeply into me as I stood silently outside. 

I think “Vaudois” may rival anything I ever photographed.  It captures the feeling and mood of Europe in the glass.  I struggled with names for this very special image but finally came back to “Vaudois”.  It’s a mood and memory that I’ve carried for a long, long time.  I love the mystery of the ladies shoes or slippers… and know little else of their meaning accept that it adds to the mystery of the eyes!  It’s the look of a lady tempting one to enter, but keeping the intent of her mind warm and hidden inside….