Have you ever heard about reading a painting? It is awkward question to think about in terms of reading. People usually look at a painting as photographing of a sight nature, for instance. Transferring a particular scene from nature such as flowers makes people like it because of its colors in a way which a painter beautifies his work for audience. However, painting is not only a way of photographing scenes, but also it is a complex text which contains message. In addition Painters are producing many interesting works, and they are different from photographers because they are able to add some illustrations such as putting a rat in the middle of painting. The New Woman in her Bicycle is a good example of how the painter is trying to describe something in a time in a piece of art. Moreover, this piece of art is containing three main ideas about women's life style such as wearing new fashionable clothes, riding bicycles, and their satisfying about the new style(Opper). In fact that many fashions have been developing day by day frequently since 1850s.

Women were wearing strict traditional clothes such as full skirts and narrow sleeves in 1850s. People didn't accept women wearing other than that because of culture in that time. In The New woman in her Bicycle the painter is describing what had happened in a time when women changed their looking by wearing bloomers. As we can see in this painting, women are wearing bloomers almost all the time (Opper). People, especially men, were shucked about new women's looking. For example, because this painting contains more than one scene we can notice that man in picture in the top right was surprised when he saw woman wearing bloomers. So, that means men didn't accept seeing women wearing bloomers. The peak of wearing new clothes didn't stop at usual things, and women had started engaging in different events such as sports and celebrations. Additionally, we can see clearly in right middle picture and top to the left that women had involved in sports and different events in new looking (Opper). Moreover, the new fashion has reached even blue events such as funerals. Woman in the right bottom is visiting her husband. Hence, we can see how much new clothes had affected women's life since 1850s.

Every part in this piece is including women wearing new clothes as well as riding bicycle. Women have started riding bicycle in 1850s, and using them in their everyday lives. As we can see in this painting, women riding bikes in celebrations in the middle to the right of big woman's picture (Opper). In addition, Women are predisposed to work productively when riding bicycles. For example, in the picture in the middle to the left, we can see that woman is carrying a basket of breads to deliver it somewhere else. Unfortunately, men seem to be losers in that part because they dropped their baskets in the ground. So, that means women are able to compete and beat men even in hard jobs. As long as bicycles have been developed, people can get more benefits from them such as carrying someone to somewhere safely as in the picture in the bottom to the right. There is woman taking her child with her to visit someone, and they are enjoying their time (Opper). Bicycles are also included in funeral part because as we notice from the picture in bottom to the right there is woman visiting her husband's grave by using a bike to reach there. Finally, riding bikes has made women's lives easier and more productive.

Another thing this picture is describing is satisfaction which women feel when they have changed the way they dress. Women's life style was so strict that they couldn't even wear whatever they want. So this movement has given them some freedom to change their way of living their lives. Women feel satisfied and free from old fashions and strict culture which make them feel not able to achieve many things in their lives such as having successful accomplishment. The big woman's picture in the middle is illustrating woman's feelings about old fashion (Opper). The mice under her long shoes seem to be the obstacle of the women during that time, and she is looking forward to her future without paying attention to them. However, appearance of mice in that part describes new woman who is not afraid from mice as women did in 1850s (Opper). Additionally, women are scared when they see a mouse in 1850s, but the picture showing woman as a Victorian who has overcame many challenges. The picture behind the big women showing a beast begging under woman's legs, and that expresses woman's strength. This woman is scared because of the beast and couldn't do anything to the beast. She is standing on a chair waiting for someone to help. We can notice that every small picture in this painting doesn't have a frame except this picture (Opper). Moreover, a framed picture is hanged on the wall, and that means this scene is from the past. This piece of art expresses woman feelings in new looking more confident than women before 1850s. Turning to the big woman's picture, it seems amusing because the woman is wearing many things similar to men's clothes such as T-shirt and tie. This woman is trying to show up by wearing those clothes and putting her hands in her front bucket (Opper). That also describes her satisfaction about what she is doing. Therefore, men seem to be beat by women, and they should find another way win the battle against women.

In conclusion, The New Woman in her Bicycle is a piece of art which is a good example of visual reading because it has many symbols. Those symbols have different illustrations which artist can express his idea by using them. Therefore, a reader can interpret and understand the meaning of those symbols. The New Woman in her Bicycle is describing the movement in women's lifestyle including work clothing. There are many symbols used in this painting such as rats which is usually means something disgusting. In fact there are different opinions from variety of people about one piece of art.   

Opper, Frederick Burr. The new woman and her bicycle-there will be several varieties of her. 1895. Illus. from Puck, v. 37, no. 954. The Carolina Reader. . Ed. USC Dept. of English Fall 2014, Plymouth: Hayden McNeil.167. Print.
