Dimensions 69.0 x 82.0 cm
Otto Scholderer painted this portrait of his wife, made with oil on canvas, portrays her with a striking black fan. This fan, a seemingly simple object, is laden with cultural echoes. The fan’s symbolism stretches back through centuries, originating in ancient rituals, reborn in the courts of Europe, and later, in the boudoirs of the bourgeoisie, becoming an emblem of unspoken communication. Observe how the seemingly casual gesture of holding the fan belies a complex language of flirtation and secrecy, encoding subtle messages of longing and coquetry. Its presence here evokes a potent sense of the past, a trace of the gestures and emotions that have shaped our understanding of femininity. The woman's relaxed position contrasts with the fan, creating a subconscious tension. These elements engage the viewer, drawing on an unspoken, collective memory and the complex interplay between concealment and revelation. It is a cycle of expression and repression, which continues to resurface in the imagery of our time.
Comments
The artist's wife is facing sideways towards the viewer and is looking at him in half-profile. Scholderer has paid great attention to detail in depicting her ample dress with its frills, her half-open hair and the rug on the back of the chair. In spite of the clayey colouring, the portrayal of the model contrasts with the two-dimensional background, which the artist has applied with a spatula. The painting differs greatly from Scholderer's earlier works. The influence of English painting, which Scholderer had studied intensively after moving to London in 1871, is in evidence here.
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