Maria Juliana Bedoire
unspecified
From the collection of Finnish National Gallery
unspecified
From the collection of Finnish National Gallery
This painting shows a woman in a blue dress with a low neckline and ruffled sleeves. She’s holding a red cloth draped over one arm, and her hair is styled in loose curls. The background is plain and dark, keeping all focus on her face and clothing. The artist used soft lighting to make her skin look smooth and her features stand out. The way the shadows and light play on her face is very deliberate. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how this lighting trick works in other paintings.