Portrait of a woman 

Joan Brull painted this portrait of a woman in the late 19th or early 20th century. Brull was part of a wave of Catalan artists who explored Symbolism, a movement known for its interest in emotion, the mystical, and the inner life. Here, the woman’s gaze is direct, confident, and intimate, as if sharing a secret. Her features are idealized but retain a sense of individuality, challenging the more archetypal representations of women common in symbolist art. The soft brushstrokes and muted palette enhance the feeling of a fleeting moment captured. Brull seems less interested in the formal constraints of portraiture and more concerned with the woman’s psychological presence. During this period, Barcelona was undergoing rapid modernization, and a rising bourgeoisie sought to express their identity through art. Brull's work, while aesthetically pleasing, subtly questions the viewer’s expectations, inviting us to consider the complex interplay between appearance and inner self.