Young Woman in Kimono by Alfred H. Maurer

Young Woman in Kimono c. 1901

0:00
0:00

painting, oil-paint

# 

portrait

# 

painting

# 

oil-paint

# 

figuration

# 

oil painting

# 

japonisme

# 

portrait art

Dimensions: overall: 76.2 × 73.18 cm (30 × 28 13/16 in.) framed: 87 × 82.87 × 5.4 cm (34 1/4 × 32 5/8 × 2 1/8 in.)

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

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.

Show more

Comments

No comments

Be the first to comment and join the conversation on the ultimate creative platform.