An Elegant Woman with Her Hands Covering Her Eyes

Gramatté applied soft pinks, blues, and light browns in quick, sketchy strokes, blending the pigments to achieve a gentle, almost hazy surface reminiscent of sfumato. The tracing paper’s translucency allows faint pencil underdrawings to show through, adding depth to the delicate coloration.

The drawing was produced during a period when Gramatté lived and worked in Berlin, Hamburg, the island of Hiddensee, and Barcelona. It reflects the artist’s post‑World War I sensibility, shaped by his wartime service and ongoing health struggles.

Gramatté’s practice merged expressionist vigor with elements of magic realism, often presenting ordinary subjects through a mystical lens. This piece exemplifies his interest in portraying psychological states through simplified, atmospheric drawing rather than detailed realism.