Vrouw met pijnzende blik op een bank
Medium
lithography
Dimensions
322; 501
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Rechts op de voorgrond een tafel waarop een open boek en een vaas met bloemen. Bij de tafel zit een dame in een donkere japon met grote witte kraag, op een chaise longue, de linkerarm steunend op de leuning, voor zich uit te staren. Achter haar een gedeelte van een kast; rechts een venster.
Art Historical Context
### Vrouw met pijnzende op een bank (1897) Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, a Swiss-born artist who thrived in fin-de-siècle Paris, captures a moment of quiet introspection in this lithograph. Titled *Woman with a Piercingaze on a Bench*, the image centers on a woman seated on a chaise longue beside a table holding an open book and a of flowers. Dressed in a dark gown a striking white collar, she rests her left arm on the armrest, her gaze fixed ahead in apparent reverie. A cupboard looms behind her, while a window to the right bathes the scene in subtle light, evoking a domestic interior frozen in time. Steinlen, renowned for his empathetic depictions of everyday life during the Belle Époque, mastered lithography to produce posters and prints that blended Art Nouveau elegance with social realism. Influenced by contemporaries like Toulouse-Lautrec, he often portrayed women with emotional depth, highlighting subtle expressions of melancholy or longing. Created in 1897, this work reflects the era's fascination with interior scenes and psychological nuance, amid Paris's booming print culture. Measuring 501 × 322 mm, the lithograph's rich tonal gradients—achieved through Steinlen's skillful crayon technique—allow for mass reproduction while retaining intimate detail. It invites visitors to ponder the woman's unspoken story, embodying the period's shift toward accessible art that humanized the ordinary. A gem of poster art history, it showcases Steinlen's legacy in evoking universal quietude.
About the Artist
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, born on November 10, 1859, in Lausanne, Switzerland, hailed from a family with artistic roots; his grandfather, Christian Gottlieb Steinlen, was a painter and draftsman. After two years studying theology at the University of Lausanne, he trained in industrial ornamental drawing in Mulhouse under Schoenhaupt and worked as a designer trainee at a textile mill. Encourage...