Anders Zorn (Mora, 1860 - 1920, Mora)
Study for Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice, 1894
Pencil and red chalk on paper , 15 x 15 cm (5 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.)
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This is a small circular chalk and pencil drawing of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s face. The features of Mrs. Gardner’s face are created with hatch marks, small quick lines drawn close together, in red. The left side of her face is shaded and her lips form a slight smile. Bright blue pencil illuminates her eyes and the same blue, combined with the red crayon, gives some shape to her short, or perhaps pulled back, hair. This small round portrait is encased in a thick wooden frame with deeply carved florals and leaves. The artist’s name appears on a small brass tag affixed to the bottom of the frame.
Blue Room
Commentary
This delicate little sketch of Isabella may have been a preparatory drawing for Anders Zorn’s portrait in oil, in the Short Gallery on the second floor. As in the final version, Gardner’s face is portrayed from the right; with her open mouth and curious look, she seems to engage directly with us.