Ufuldført hoved af en ung pige, en face 1893

This is an unfinished portrait of a young girl by Frans Schwartz. Her penetrating gaze confronts us, shadowed on one side, while a string of pearls adorns her neck. Pearls, throughout history, have carried complex symbolism. In ancient Rome, they signified status and wealth. Yet, recall Botticelli's Venus, born of the sea and often depicted with pearls, emblems of purity but also of tears. These glistening spheres echo through time, reappearing in Renaissance portraits as signs of marital status, and in Victorian mourning jewelry as symbols of grief. Here, in Schwartz's etching, the pearls might hint at the girl's social standing, or perhaps something deeper. The shadowed face evokes a sense of melancholy. Just as the 'pathos formula' in ancient art conveyed intense emotion, the girl's expression, combined with the symbolic weight of the pearls, engages us on a deeply subconscious level. The image embodies a powerful, timeless connection between beauty, sorrow, and the quiet burdens of youth.