Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Jean-Jacques Henner. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work titled Portrait of a Woman, painted by Jean-Jacques Henner in 1889, depicts a solitary female sitter rendered in oil on canvas in France.
The work titled Portrait of a Woman, painted by Jean-Jacques Henner in 1889, depicts a solitary female sitter rendered in oil on canvas in France. As a portrait, it functions to record the sitter’s appearance and to suggest her social presence, a common aim of 19th-century French portraiture. The painting’s iconography is limited to the conventional representation of a woman in contemporary dress, without overt symbolic attributes, allowing the viewer to focus on the sitter’s dignified composure and the artist’s technical handling of light and texture.
The canvas entered the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, where it remains displayed as an example of Henner’s portraiture.
Technique & Style
The Portrait of a Woman by Jean-Jacques Henner, dated 1889, is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures roughly 55.3 cm in height by 46.0 cm in width and was created in France, reflecting the academic portrait tradition of the late nineteenth century. Its formal composition presents a three-quarter view of the sitter, rendered with the smooth brushwork and muted palette characteristic of Henner’s style. The piece is catalogued within the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.
History & Provenance
Jean-Jacques Henner painted Portrait of a Woman in 1889 in France. The oil on canvas work, measuring 55.3 by 46 cm, depicts a woman and is now held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1980.267.
Overview
Jean-Jacques Henner completed Portrait of a Woman in 1889, an oil painting that exemplifies his characteristic approach to portraiture. This work, rendered in oil paint, depicts an unidentified female subject. The French artist, known for his mastery of sfumato and chiaroscuro, created this piece within what is described as the impressionist movement. It is presently part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Jacques Henner (5 March 1829 – 23 July 1905) was a French painter, noted for his use of sfumato and chiaroscuro in painting nudes, religious subjects and portraits.
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