Portrait of a Woman with a Lace Cap

About this work

This woman sits in a portrait, her face calm and direct. She wears a tall white lace cap with a bow, a black dress, and holds a small red book or pouch in her left hand. The background is a plain green, and her chair has a carved armrest. The artist used pastel on paper, a softer medium than oil paint, which gives the colors a delicate, slightly fuzzy look. The paper even has old newsprint glued to the back—like a hidden layer of history. Look up pastel to see how artists use chalky sticks to make these dreamy portraits.