Kopf der Schwester Herma mit Marienblümchenkranz auf dem Hut 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker painted this portrait of Sister Herma, likely in oil on canvas, and it feels like a dance between directness and simplification. The earthy palette gives it a kind of grounded feel, while the brushstrokes—especially in the background—are so immediate, so present. You can almost feel her hand moving across the canvas. Look at the planes of the face, how she's carved out space and form with these blocks of color. There is something almost sculptural in the way she models form. I love how she’s not trying to hide the process. It’s like she’s saying, "Here's the paint, here's the mark, here’s how I see." The slightly wonky hat is wonderful, the blue pendant is a strange little detail. It reminds me of a flattened Matisse. Modersohn-Becker’s work is, for me, a reminder that art is about process, about feeling, and about embracing the imperfect.