Portrait of a Woman
Medium
Brush and brown wash and pen and brown ink, with graphite on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
22.7 × 20 cm (8 15/16 × 7 7/8 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
191195
Art Historical Context
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld created this intimate portrait in 1821, during the height of the Nazarene movement he helped lead in Rome. The German Romantics sought to revive the precise drawing traditions of Dürer and early Renaissance masters, rejecting neoclassical polish in favor of sincere, spiritually infused naturalism. At just 22.7 × 20 cm, the small sheet reflects the Nazarene preference for modest formats that reward close, contemplative viewing. Executed in brush and brown wash over pen and graphite on ivory wove paper, the work demonstrates Schnorr’s mastery of layered line and to...
About the Artist
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld · 1794–1872
German, Leipzig 1794–1872 Dresden