Portrait of a Woman, a refined depiction of a cosmopolitan figure, is characteristic of late 19th– to early 20th century Greek portraiture, as can be seen in works by other artists in the Collection, such as Dimitrios Biskinis, Pavlos Mathiopoulos and Umvertos Argyros.
Using an understated but colourful palette, the artist depicted a lady in a living room, sitting on a red – patterned chair. Although she is seated at a slight angle, the woman looks directly at the viewer; moreover, the dark tones of her hat, hair and eyebrows and her smiling eyes, in contrast to her all-white attire almost force the viewer to meet her gaze. The woman’s clothing and jewellery, and the book in her hand, as well as the room adorned with paintings and flowers, signal her status as a genteel lady of some means.
The influence of Impressionism is clearly seen in the rendering of the background with its many tonal gradations. Moreover, the artist’s thick, painterly brushwork and her subtle use of colour and manipulation of light further reveal her Impressionistic tendencies.
