Young Woman with a Mandolin, Portrait of Louison Köhler
c. 1873–1874
Medium
oil on fabric
Dimensions
unframed: 54.9 × 46 cm · framed: 70.5 × 62.2 × 7.6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Noah L. Butkin
Accession Number
1977.124
Tags
About this artwork
Bonvin was fascinated by the realism of 17th-century Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish still life paintings. He was also aware of the French Realist movement, a highly candid, straightforward style with political overtones. This work embodies both the realism for which Bonvin was famous and the still life paintings of earlier periods. The woman in the painting is Louison Köhler (1850–?), the artist's mistress. After two failed marriages, Bonvin met her in 1870, and she remained with him until his deat...