Woman Reading (Liseuse)
1885
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1885
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This image shows a dark, shadowy scene with a woman’s body curled up in a chair. Her arm rests on the armrest, and her head is bent forward as if she’s reading. The background is mostly black, with a faint window or light source above her. The rough, smudgy lines make the scene feel quick and sketchy, almost like a hurried sketch. This is a monotype, a printmaking method where ink is applied directly to a plate. Next, look up technique: cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.
