Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Émile Chabas. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Her brown hair frames a face defined by carefully rendered eyebrows, while a necklace with a pendant rests above a bare shoulder and exposed décolletage.
The painting depicts a young woman rendered in the manner of a 1920s flapper, shown standing and gazing directly toward the viewer. Her brown hair frames a face defined by carefully rendered eyebrows, while a necklace with a pendant rests above a bare shoulder and exposed décolletage. The figure is portrayed bathing, with a mountainous landscape visible behind her, situating the nude or semi-nude bather within an outdoor setting rather than an interior.
The combination of direct gaze, jewelry, and bathing motif aligns the work with Chabas's broader interest in the modern female figure as a subject of intimate, naturalistic portrayal, blending portrait conventions with the traditional bather theme.
Technique & Style
Paul Émile Chabas executed this portrait using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 74 cm in height and 60.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting depicts a standing woman with brown hair, characterized by a direct gaze toward the viewer.
The composition highlights the subject's décolletage and includes accessories such as a necklace with a pendant. Background elements feature a mountain landscape, contributing to the scene's setting. The figure is rendered in a manner associated with the flapper aesthetic, emphasizing specific facial features like the eyebrows and the exposure of the shoulder.
History & Provenance
The oil painting Portrait of a Lady by Paul Émile Chabas is held in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art in São Paulo. The work depicts a standing woman with brown hair, wearing a necklace and pendant, set against a mountainous background. While the museum holds the piece, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the painting. Additionally, the available documentation contains no record of the work's exhibition history or past display locations.
Overview
Paul Émile Chabas's 'Portrait of a Lady' is an oil painting created around 1913. It is a representative work of the post-impressionist movement, held in the São Paulo Museum of Art collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Émile Chabas (March 7, 1869 – May 10, 1937) was a French painter and illustrator and member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
