Woman with Papers in Mouth and Fan in Hand
1820
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1820
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman sits cross-legged on the floor, holding a fan in one hand and a small bowl in the other. She wears a loose, patterned robe with a green outer layer and a peach underlayer. Her hair is pulled back neatly, and she’s looking down, holding a piece of paper to her mouth. Behind her is a folded screen with a blue background and a tiny landscape scene of buildings and trees. The paper she’s holding might be a poem or letter—this was a common way to show someone reading or reacting to words. The fan and bowl suggest she’s taking a break, maybe during tea. Next, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more works like this.
