Woman’s Head 1904

Albert Edelfelt made this oil sketch, Woman’s Head, in 1904. Edelfelt was a Finnish painter, who moved in cosmopolitan circles and spent long periods in Paris. In this sketch, the artist has depicted a young woman wearing a white headscarf. Her gaze is directed downwards, giving the impression of modesty and humility. We might ask what this image tells us about the position of women in Finland at the beginning of the twentieth century. Was Edelfelt commenting on social expectations, or was he simply painting an image that conformed to them? He had a successful career painting portraits of the aristocracy and of members of the Russian Imperial family, whose empire then included Finland. But he also painted many images of ordinary Finnish people. The archives of art institutions can help us to understand who commissioned works of art, and the journals and letters of artists can tell us about their intentions. This kind of research is essential if we are to understand the public role of art and the social conditions that shape its production.