Portrait of the Artist´s Cousin, Petrea Petersen
1846
unspecified
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This portrait depicts a woman with fair skin and brown hair styled in an updo. She wears a dark green dress with a white trim around the neckline, which is off the shoulder. A thin necklace adorns her neck. The woman's expression is neutral, and her gaze is directed slightly to the left of the viewer. The background of the painting is a muted gray color, which helps to focus attention on the subject. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume in the painting. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
