Naisen muotokuva 1887 - 1905

Helene Schjerfbeck made this sketch, titled "Naisen muotokuva" or "Portrait of a Woman", using graphite. Schjerfbeck lived in a time of great social change in Finland, and her life and art were marked by her struggle as a woman artist in a male-dominated society. This portrait captures a particular kind of gaze, which invites a dialogue between the sitter and the viewer. The soft lines and delicate shading lend the woman a gentle, almost melancholic air. Her gaze is directed slightly off to the side, as if lost in thought or observing something beyond our view. This positioning suggests a level of interiority, pushing back against traditional, passive representations of women. While rooted in the traditions of portraiture, Schjerfbeck's approach conveys a sense of vulnerability. Through her sensitive rendering of the woman's features, Schjerfbeck elevates her to a figure of quiet dignity and strength, reflecting the artist's broader project of redefining female representation in art.