Tochter Mary c. 1920

Franz von Stuck made this portrait of his daughter Mary with paint and probably some pastel crayon, judging by the soft strokes and muted colour palette. The surface has a chalky texture, built up from these layers of dry pigment. Look how he's captured the light on her face with subtle shifts in tone, creating a gentle glow. It’s not trying to be super realistic or anything, but it has a kind of dreamlike quality. The way he's rendered the background is interesting too – loose and sketchy, almost like a stage set. And those bright blue ribbons in her hair! They almost vibrate against the muted tones of the rest of the painting. It reminds me a little of some of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings – that same sense of idealized beauty and quiet drama. But Stuck brings his own sensibility to it, a kind of proto-expressionist energy that is very of the time. It's a piece that invites you to linger, to get lost in its details, and to imagine the world through Mary's eyes.