They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but what about windows themselves? Throughout history, artists have used windows as symbols of everything from confinement to freedom, as well as acting as sources of light for their dramatic scenes.

The famous arched window in Grant Wood's American Gothic (1930) bridges the gap between the eyes of the two figures, highlighting the eerie game of looking and watching that they, and we as viewers, are involved in. Scroll on to discover 5 more famous windows in art...

Friedrich paints his wife in his studio in Dresden, arranging the scene around a window to emphasize the contrast between the outdoors and the interior. 

Confined by the looming window-frame, the woman faces away from us, refusing to appear in her own portrait (which is perhaps a second type of confinement) and instead looks out of the window towards a departing ship's mast.

Ringgold uses woven fabrics and textured paint to create a vibrant scene of many windows, giving a glimpse into a lively Black community.

From families to firefighters tackling a blaze, and from banners proclaiming social justice to shadowy figures hiding behind curtains, the windows of Ringgold's community keep its members in tension between togetherness and isolation. 

Among Vermeer's most famous artworks, this painting tells a story of longing. The light from the window allows the girl to read her letter, but also mocks her with a vision of freedom beyond her domestic setting, a vision which remains just outside of the picture's frame.

Many believe that the letter is from an absent lover, and that the tumbling fruit on the bed symbolizes the 'over-spilling' of desire. In this way, the window communicates the woman's need to be free in love and life.

Probably the most famous bedroom in the history of art, Van Gogh's sleeping quarters at 2, Place Lamartine in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (known as the Yellow House) became immortalized in three colorful paintings he made in the late 1880s. 

Though the yellow furniture often draws the eyes of viewers, the painting is also concerned with thresholds. The doorway on the left leads to the guest room in which the painter Gauguin stayed, and the green light of the window seems to inform the colors of the whole composition.

Perhaps better known for her close-up pictures of flowers, Georgia O'Keeffe also painted landscapes and architectural studies. This painting depicts outhouses and barns on the upstate New York estate of her husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

The black, thickly-applied paint of the barn's wall is offset by the small, pale, open windows. There is a tension here between light and dark, the strong and the vulnerable. Who knew a plain building could have such personality?

Years of careful craft go into the creation of Bonsai trees - the miniature, living artworks that mimic the shape of full-size trees. In fact, bonsai has been practised in Japan for over 1000 years, becoming one of the most highly appreciated arts.

Bonsai developed from the classical Chinese art of Penjing, or the creation of miniature landscapes. Both these art forms provide entertainment for their creators and objects of contemplation for their viewers.

Bonsai trees of varying sizes and styles have been used to decorate livings rooms, studies, gardens, and palaces. They're held on a par with calligraphy, paintings, and classical music. But how exactly do you train a pear, or a peach, or a pine tree to grow barely two feet tall?

The process begins with a suitable source; usually a cutting or small sapling of any woody-stemmed perennial. The most popular are fruit and pine trees native to the landscape of Japan: peaches, apples, elms, juniper, conifer, and spruce.

The key to stunting the plant's growth is a small pot, often with only a few centimetres of soil. The roots and leaves of the plant are trimmed with great care, and over time the tree adapts to its tiny home.

It's not just about creating any old small plant, though. Bonsai requires a keen eye and a sense of aesthetics. The aim is to create a pleasing scene in which the artist's intervention is hidden. It should appear entirely natural, even if it's in miniature form.

Ingenious tricks are used to create the impression of gnarled, twisted trunks, as in this tree. Copper wires and clamps can guide branches and pin them in place, all in order to create a convincing impression of an aged tree.

After years of growth, the result is a beautiful living sculpture. Treated well, bonsai trees can live to be just as old as full-size trees. In fact, there are a handful of trees that are proven to be almost 1000 years old.

Just as certain paintings and sculptures are internationally famous, so are some bonsai trees. This tree is named Higurashi, or 'Daily Life'. It exemplifies the koshoku, or 'aged patina' style. At over 450 years old, it is considered to be the finest bonsai tree in Japan.

There are various names for the different shapes of bonsai trees. Fukinagashi, 'Wind Blown', suggests a trunk leaning over as if being blown by a strong wind, as seen in this bonsai pinus parviflora.

The white areas of dead wood are known as shari, literally, 'relics'. The degree of shari is one of the central concerns of bonsai connoisseurship. This tree, named Uzushio, 'Swirling Tide', is a particularly prized example.