Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the Realist artist Ludwig Knaus. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Portrait of a Woman is a 19th-century oil painting by Ludwig Knaus, a German artist associated with the Düsseldorf school. Created in 1863, it is now part of the State Hermitage Museum's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a single female figure, shown from the shoulders up, turned slightly to the left. Her dark hair is pulled back, and she wears a white dress with a ruffled collar, set against a dark background that highlights her face and clothing.
Technique & Style
The artist's use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth, while the soft rendering of the woman's features gives her an introspective appearance. The work is characteristic of the realism movement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ludwig Knaus (5 October 1829 – 7 December 1910) was a German genre painter of the younger 7 Düsseldorf school of painting.
Portrait of Thérèse Schwartze, the Artist's Daughter, at 16 years of age
Head of a Woman in Profile
Portrait of a young girl
Portrait of a young woman – Johana Freün von Tschamer
Louise Audiat
Study Head of a Woman
Priscilla
Naisen pää, harjoitelma
Portrait of a Girl
His First Model-Miss Russell
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a young woman