Young Woman in Kimono c. 1901

Alfred Maurer painted this melancholic Young Woman in Kimono in oil, and I can feel him feeling his way into the composition. There's an undercurrent of process, a quiet struggle made visible through the paint itself. Look at the kimono, how the gray softly folds, creating an atmosphere more than a garment. The paint seems thinned, almost like a watercolor, especially around the red trim, which vibrates against the muted tones, adding a needed jolt. Then, there's that single, almost awkward brushstroke defining the chair's edge—a moment of directness amidst the subtlety. It reminds me a bit of Whistler's tonalist approach, but Maurer injects a touch of nervous energy. It's this blend of restraint and raw expression that makes the painting so compelling. Like a half-formed thought, beautiful in its ambiguity, suggesting there's always more to uncover.