Portret van een weesmeisje 1861 - 1918

This delicate watercolor, ‘Portrait of an Orphan Girl,’ was painted by Thérèse Schwartze, a Dutch artist known for her society portraits. Schwartze’s choice of watercolor is telling here, especially considering the history of the medium. Unlike oil paint, often favored by male artists for grand historical scenes, watercolor has traditionally been associated with intimacy and immediacy, a medium employed more often by women. Look closely at the way the paint is applied, the transparent washes building up to create form. This method gives a sense of the girl’s vulnerability, echoing her social position as an orphan. The swift, economical brushstrokes also suggest the rapid pace of modern life, where individual stories can easily be overlooked. Ultimately, Schwartze invites us to consider not only the subject of the portrait but also the broader social fabric that shaped her life, challenging conventional notions of who deserves to be seen and remembered.