Because You Make Me Smile 

Cathrine Edlinger-Kunze painted this portrait, titled "Because You Make Me Smile," using acrylics and charcoal sometime in the 20th century. The model is posed informally, gazing out with an inscrutable look. Portraiture has a long and complicated history in the Western tradition. On the one hand, it has typically been commissioned by the wealthy to celebrate their status and power. On the other hand, it has offered artists opportunities to experiment with different styles, challenge social norms, and represent a wider range of people, including those who have historically been marginalized. This portrait may well be the result of such experimentations. Edlinger-Kunze has been active at a time of social change, within a culture that is increasingly concerned with issues of identity and representation. Historians can investigate these issues by studying the institutions that support artists and by paying close attention to the changing meaning of portraiture.