Portrait of a Woman (1910, Met-Objekt 5015)
Original title: Portrait of a Woman
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many female portraits of its time, this 1910 color lithograph by Egon Schiele relies on sketchy drawing rather than smooth finish. It shows a woman in a large hat, posed elegantly, captured on paper.
Description
A broad-brimmed hat frames the woman's slightly tilted head, one hand supporting her chin. She wears a simple collared top and belted trousers. The layout stays spare: muted browns and greys fill the background, contrasting with the pale beige of the foreground. Even light prevails, with no strong shadows or harsh contrasts.
Context
The sheet was made in Vienna in 1910, during a phase of intense artistic experimentation for Schiele. At the time he was still clearly under the influence of Jugendstil and Gustav Klimt, but was increasingly finding his own expressive voice. Lithographs often served artists of those years as a way to bring their work to a wider audience.
Impact
The restrained coloring and clear lines give the portrait a calm, collected presence. Through her elegant posture and the large hat, the woman gains strong presence, while the background deliberately recedes and does not distract.
Technique
Executed as a color lithograph on paper, the image is produced by a planographic process in which the drawing is applied to the stone with greasy chalk. Several printing plates create the muted tones. The sheet measures 14 x 9 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)