Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Study of a Woman
In this small drawing, thought to date from early in his artistic career, Bonvin uses a dark square of charcoal to create a recessed area from which a figure emerges.This lends the figure a slightly secretive appearance, as the face is hidden both by the darkness and the stooping position of the woman. As what appears to be a curved chair back appears behind her right shoulder (the left as we look at her), it is possible she is engaged in a domestic task, such as sewing, or has fallen asleep. Both possibilities would keep the figure motionless for the artist to observe. The woman may be Bonvin’s wife, who is also thought to appear in several of the watercolors at the Walters, for example "A Cook in a Red Apron" (WAM 37.1505) and "Woman Sweeping the Yard" (WAM 37.1668).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Alexandre Léon Bonvin (1864-1935) [the artist’s son], by inheritance; Louis Bonvin (1897-1967) [his son], by inheritance; Renée Claudel-Bonvin (1921-2022) [his daughter], by inheritance; sale of her estate, Rois et Vaupres, Vire, France, 20 March, 2024; Walters Art Museum, 2024, by purchase.
Measurements
H: 5 1/2 × W: 5 1/8 in. (14 × 13 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 2024
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2952