Artwork
Portrait of the Artist's Sister
Portrait of the Artist's Sister is an oil painting by the Neo-Impressionist artist Georges Lemmen. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium Lemmen favored for its luminosity and blendability during the 1890s pointillist phase.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium Lemmen favored for its luminosity and blendability during the 1890s pointillist phase. Handling is characterized by small, regular touches of pigment applied in regular, hatched strokes rather than discrete dots, producing a silken surface that softens the optical rigor typical of Neo-Impressionism. The figure’s contours are softly modeled, with subtle transitions in tone that suggest volume without hard edges.
The background is treated as a flat, decorative field of muted greens and ochres, anchoring the composition while allowing the sitter’s attire, rendered in crisp, parallel hatchings, to stand forward. No evidence of significant restorations or structural damages is recorded in available records.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1891 by Georges Lemmen. It entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it is currently held. No documented commission or earlier ownership history prior to its acquisition by the museum is recorded in the available sources.
Georges Lemmen's Portrait of the Artist's Sister is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The work is an oil painting on canvas created in 1891. While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the institution lists the piece within its holdings, noting its depiction of a chair, dress, and brooch. The provided sources do not contain information regarding a specific exhibition history for this painting.
Overview
Georges Lemmen’s 1896 oil painting, Portrait of the Artist’s Sister, presents a seated woman rendered in a distinctive, textured manner. The work is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago and exemplifies Lemmen’s engagement with contemporary visual experiments.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features the artist’s sister, shown in profile with her gaze turned slightly toward the viewer. She wears a dark, high‑collared coat accented by a brooch at her throat, and is seated beside a chair, suggesting a quiet, intimate domestic setting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Georges Lemmen was a neo-impressionist painter from Belgium. He was a member of Les XX from 1888. His works include The Beach at Heist, Aline Marechal and Vase of Flowers. Yvonne Serruys studied in his workshop in…
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