The woman appears forlorn as she looks at the empty chair. Is she anticipating an awkward encounter or has she been stood up? The purse seems to be providing a barrier shielding her from either potential. The shadows appear to intensify this drama.
There are two worlds in this image, Tim. The woman waits patiently for someone to fill that empty chair across from her. Yet her bag suggests that she really does not expect company. That is the world of reality. And then there is the curious world of shadows at work here -- the shadows of the empty chair, the table and bag, and the woman herself, float abstractly on the pock marked wall behind her. She has plenty of incongruous company here, but does not seem to realize it.
