Young Woman in White Holding a Bouquet by Stevens, Alfred

Stevens, Alfred · c. 1865/1875

This is Alfred Stevens's *Young Woman in White Holding a Bouquet*, painted in oil on wood around 1870. It now belongs to a public museum, but only because of a remarkable recovery after the Second World War.

Look closely at the quiet details: the red flower tucked into her hair, the single pearl earring, the lace of her ruffled neckline, and the bouquet held gently in both hands. Stevens was a master of texture, capturing the soft folds of the white dress and the faint light on her face with a precision drawn from 17th-century Dutch painting.

Stevens was a Belgian painter who found fame in Paris for his scenes of elegant modern women. This portrait was seized by the Nazis in 1943 from a French collector. It was hidden in an Austrian salt mine, part of a vast cache of looted art. American troops discovered the mine in 1945, and this painting was among the works saved.

The young woman in white spent years in darkness underground. Looking at the soft light falling on her face now, that long silence feels unexpectedly close.

Details

A young woman, a white dress, a small bouquet.

But in 1943, the Nazis seized this painting from a French collector.

American soldiers found her there in 1945, packed in a dark tunnel.

A collection of vibrant blooms, suggesting themes of beauty, nature, and perhaps a gift or a symbol of affection.

The delicate lace and ruffles showcase the texture of the fabric and the craftsmanship of her dress.

Transcript

She looks like a portrait of a quiet afternoon in 1870. A young woman, a white dress, a small bouquet. But in 1943, the Nazis seized this painting from a French collector. It vanished into a salt mine in Austria, hidden with thousands of other works. American soldiers found her there in 1945, packed in a dark tunnel. It took until 1951 for her to be returned. She now rests in a public museum.