Portrait of a Lady
1811
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1811
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of a Lady is a 1811 by Jean-Baptiste Isabey, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a woman with curly hair and a soft smile. She’s dressed in a high-necked dress with lace trim, and her hair is gathered under a fancy headpiece. The background is plain, keeping all the focus on her face. Notice how the artist used light and shadow to shape her features—her cheekbones stand out, and her hair looks almost three-dimensional. This was a common trick in Romantic-era portraits to make subjects look more lifelike. Check out chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.
