Portrait of a young woman
Original title: Portrait of a young woman
kurzbeschreibung
An engraving from 1786 by Christian Friedrich Stölzel presents a portrait of a young woman. She appears as a half-length figure within an oval frame. The print was executed as an engraving on paper.
Description
Inside an oval frame, the young woman is shown in half-length. Her curly hair is tied into a braid; she wears a dark top with a white collar. The plain, dark background makes the figure stand out clearly. Beneath the portrait is a coat of arms with text providing details about the original painting and its dimensions. The layout is symmetrical and monochromatic; fine lines and hatching convey contours and textures.
Context
Christian Friedrich Stölzel was a German engraver of the 18th century. This print was made in 1786 as a reproductive engraving after a painting, to which the text below the portrait refers. Such engravings served in the 18th century to make paintings known to a broader public. The coat of arms in the lower area suggests the status or origin of the sitter.
Impact
The dark background and fine linework give the image a calm effect focused on the person. The symmetrical arrangement and the oval frame lend the portrait a classical, representative appearance. The precise hatching creates a plastic effect.
Technique
The lines were incised into a metal plate and then printed on paper. Fine lines and hatching produce tonal values and textures. The plate size is 27.8 × 22.1 cm, the sheet size 36.4 × 27.5 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)