E.F. Leybote

This woman painted faces so bluntly the subjects seem to lean out of the frame, like they’ve just asked you a question. Her brush never softens the edges—even lace collars look like they could prick your fingers. Head to the Rijksmuseum and find *Portret de femeie*; stand a little too close and you’ll notice the left eyelid is a single, deliberate daub of raw umber that somehow makes the whole portrait breathe.