Artwork
Woman with a Necklace
Woman with a Necklace is an ink print by Walter Gramatté. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1923, this color etching presents a frontal portrait of a woman whose hair is tightly drawn back and whose eyes stare directly outward. Rendered in blue ink on a cream‑toned wove paper, the image is dominated by a flat, monochrome background that emphasizes the delicate texture of the skin and the intricate details of the necklace she wears.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on the sitter’s face and upper torso, highlighting the tension between the smoothness of the skin and the ornamental complexity of the jewelry. The wide, unblinking gaze and the tightly bound hair suggest a restrained intensity, while the irregular pendants introduce a subtle sense of mystery, aligning with the artist’s interest in conveying an inner, almost mystical presence.
Technique & Style
Executed by pressing ink through a metal plate that had been incised with lines and tonal areas, the etching combines linear drawing with stippled shading to model the neck and collarbone. The use of a single blue hue against a cream ground creates a limited palette, while the fine dotting on the skin adds a tactile quality typical of Gramatté’s expressionist approach.
History & Provenance
The piece originates from the period when the artist was active in Berlin and Hamburg, a time when he refined his personal method of figurative representation. Produced shortly after his return from wartime service, the print reflects the period’s artistic climate and was likely circulated among his contemporaries and collectors in the early 1920s.
Context
Walter Gramatté’s practice merged elements of magic realism with expressionist concerns, often exploring the psychological dimensions of ordinary subjects.
Walter Gramatté’s practice merged elements of magic realism with expressionist concerns, often exploring the psychological dimensions of ordinary subjects. This etching exemplifies his tendency to infuse everyday portraiture with an otherworldly atmosphere, a quality that resonated with the broader interwar German art scene, which was grappling with the aftermath of conflict and rapid social change.
Artist & collection
Artist
Walter Gramatté (8 January 1897 in Berlin – 9 February 1929 in Hamburg) was a German expressionist painter who specialized in magic realism.
Self-Portrait in Front of Stairs (Selbst vor Treppe)
Tired Man (Self-Portrait)
Smiling Head, Self-portrait (Lächelnder Kopf, Selbstporträt)
Self-Portrait
Man in a Room, Self-portrait
Man at the Sea, Self-portrait (Mann am Meer, Selbstporträt)
Bust of a Young Man, Self-portrait (Knabenkopf, Selbstporträt)
The Couple, Self-Portrait with Wife (Das Paar, Selbstporträt mit Frau)
