Artwork
Girl with a Cigarette II
Girl with a Cigarette II is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Anders Zorn. It dates from 1891 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Girl with a Cigarette II is an 1891 etching by Swedish artist Anders Zorn, executed on laid paper. The work captures a solitary female figure in a candid, unposed moment, rendered through direct, energetic lines characteristic of Zorn’s graphic style. Unlike polished studio portraits, this piece conveys immediacy, as if the image was drawn from life in a single sitting.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a woman with loose, disheveled hair, leaning forward with one hand near her face, holding a cigarette. Her gaze is directed away from the viewer, suggesting introspection or quiet detachment. The informal posture and intimate setting imply a private, unguarded moment, reflecting late 19th-century shifts in depictions of women beyond formal or idealized roles.
Technique & Style
Zorn employed drypoint and etching to create bold, irregular lines that mimic the spontaneity of sketching. The surface is marked by scratchy, uneven strokes and dense, textured shadows, avoiding smooth gradations. The paper’s natural weave is visible, enhancing the raw, tactile quality of the image and emphasizing the medium’s physicality over refinement.
History & Provenance
Created in 1891 during Zorn’s active period in Europe, this print belongs to a series of intimate figure studies he produced alongside his paintings. It was likely made for private circulation or as part of an artist’s portfolio, rather than for public exhibition. Its survival reflects Zorn’s reputation as a skilled printmaker, though it remains less documented than his larger works.
Context
The depiction of a woman smoking—then a socially ambiguous act—aligns with emerging realism and the quiet rebellion against Victorian propriety.
In the 1890s, Zorn was part of a broader European movement redefining portraiture through direct observation and informal subjects. The depiction of a woman smoking—then a socially ambiguous act—aligns with emerging realism and the quiet rebellion against Victorian propriety. His etchings often bridged academic tradition and modern sensibility, capturing fleeting moments with psychological nuance.
Legacy
Girl with a Cigarette II exemplifies Zorn’s contribution to the revival of etching as a serious artistic medium in the late 19th century. Its unembellished realism and expressive line work influenced later printmakers seeking authenticity over polish. Though not widely exhibited, it remains a key example of his graphic output and his interest in the individuality of everyday subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anders Leonard Zorn was born in February 1860 in Mora, Dalarna, the illegitimate son of a Bavarian brewer and a Swedish farmer's daughter; his mother died shortly after his birth, and his grandparents raised him.
