Sitting Still: Painted Girl Portraits

Sitting Still is the first in a three-part exhibition series exploring representations of girls in fine art. Focusing on painted portraits of girls, it showcases an impressive array of portraits that reflect upon the personal stories, experiences, and history of this group of girls and young women. Sitting Still explores not only how the perception of girlhood has changed over the years, but also how depictions and representations of girls has shifted over time.

The exhibition includes more than 45 paintings, miniatures, prints, and watercolors from public and private collections around the world. It presents a clear and nuanced picture of girlhood in art from the 15th century through to the mid 20th century. Topics such as beauty, status, faith, power, authority, love, loss, and family provide a fascinating insight into the pictorial and thematic characteristics of girl portraits.

Artwork is arranged chronologically and divided into five sections reflecting their specific artistic time period. They are accompanied by relevant information on both the sitters and artists. Some of the images are famous and some are quite obscure. We hope you enjoy learning about the girls featured in Sitting Still.

Educational Guide

Our printable PDF guide is suitable for K-12 and college students. Curriculum links for USA and UK educational standards are included.

The National Gallery of Scotland produced this excellent video explaining portraiture and how it can be hard to define.

Renaissance

Taking place between the 14th and 17th centuries, the Renaissance period saw a cultural movement that revived humanistic interest in classical (Greek and Roman) art, literature, and philosophy across Europe. Renaissance art was generally characterized by a realism that focused on human nature and its beauty. Girls in Europe were portrayed with either an exact likeness or as an ideal, with their beauty and status emphasized by the clothes they wore and poses they held. Their portraits were painted by artist family members or commissioned by wealthy aristocratic families to commemorate betrothals or marriages, or to be kept as mementos. These girls were always the focal subjects of their individual portraits, standing out against darker, plain backgrounds, a feature not normally observed in girl paintings from Asia at this time. In Asia, girls were also portrayed as true-to-life, but they were often painted as part of larger, complex compositions. During the Safavid dynasty in Iran, girls were illustrated in manuscripts and books, appearing in miniature paintings inspired by mystical and lyrical poems of the time. In China, girls were depicted in scenes from their daily life that highlighted their innocent and carefree nature.

Petrus Christus, Portrait of a Young Girl, 1470. Tempera and oil on an oak panel, 29 x 22.5 cm. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany.

The girl’s identity in this portrait is not confirmed, so her age is unknown. The sitter is strongly believed to be a member of the English aristocratic Talbot family. She wears a blue gown laced with fur trimmings and a black chemise, with a thin and expensive gossamer ‘tissue’ draped around her shoulders. On her head sits a large, black velvet headdress with intricate gold embroidery; a variant of the truncate or beehive hennin which was fashionable in the Burgundian court. Her headdress is secured by a ribbon, and she is wearing a three-strand pearl necklace. She gazes at the viewer with an ambiguous expression. Her facial features are elongated, her eyebrows plucked, her hair drawn back to reveal her forehead and her shoulders are painted narrow: all a reflection of Gothic ideals of the time. The portrait’s background is a stylistic development in portraiture, as shadow and light were used to portray the girl close to the wall but not against it, establishing a three-dimensional setting.

Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de’ Benci, c. 1474-1478. Oil on panel, 38.1 x 37 cm. The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.

This portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci is one of the first known three-quarter-view portraits painted in Italian art. Her identity is confirmed by the emblematic juniper wreath on the painting’s reverse panel and juniper leaves that frame her face: both a wordplay on her name and symbolism of her chastity. The simplicity of her clothing and lack of extravagant adornment within the painting is surprising, especially considering her family’s aristocratic status. Leonardo da Vinci broke with prior conventions in Italian portraiture, painting Ginevra facing forward as she gazes at the viewer with an ambivalent expression. Perspective, as well as contrasting light and shadow, were used to create the impression that she has come to life. A contrast to the traditional profile portraits of Italian Renaissance girls of the time. As girls were normally kept within the walls of their homes, Ginevra also breaks with the typical as she is depicted in an outdoor setting.

Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci), Portrait of Maria Salviati de’ Medici and Giulia de’ Medici, ca. 1539. Oil on panel, 88 x 71.3 cm (painted surface), 113.03 x 92.08 cm (framed). The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902.

This image depicts the widowed wife of military leader Giovanni delle Bande Nere de’ Medici, Maria Salviati. She is shown with a young Medici relative, Giulia who was raised in Maria’s household. Giulia was the daughter of Duke Alessandro de’ Medici. A sense of a relationship is formed between the two where Giulia grasps onto Maria’s long fingers, which is symbolic of her aristocratic position. However, unlike portraiture at the time, both figures appear to blend into the background, imposing a sense of depth and sadness into the image. Alessandro was the son of a Medici cardinal, and it was believed his mother was an African servant. This portrait is possibly one of the first formal portraits of a girl of African descent in European art. Giulia has some characteristic features of this parentage, however Giulia and Maria both have pale skin. While this was fashionable at the time, some use it to call into question Giulia’s ancestry.

Alonso Sánchez Coello, Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, 1579. Oil on canvas, 116 x 102 cm. Royal Collection, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

This painting depicts Isabel Clara Eugenia, the eldest daughter of Felipe II. Isabel was one of the most important women in this family, with this piece as evidence of her high social standing. Her right hand on an armchair shows her established position in court and a handkerchief in her left hand is traditional to female portraits. Her fashion is symbolic of Spanish fashion in the 1580s: she wears a feathered headdress and an array of jewelry with stones that further display her social status. In keeping with portraiture of the time, Isabel stands with a distant gesture in the frame of the portrait, her illuminated presence reinstates a sense of authority over the viewer.

Unknown, Young woman with a spray of lilies, Safavid period, 16th century. Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, 14.3 x 7.9 cm. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA. Purchase – Charles Lang Freer Endowment.

This Persian miniature painting depicts a young woman of indeterminate age dressed in courtly garments, holding a spray of lilies as she daydreams, which was a popular painting subject at the time. She appears reserved and distant; a reflection of how unapproachable women were portrayed in mythical and lyrical poems of the period. Her identity is unknown, and it is possible that she did not exist at all. As most manuscript paintings were created by a workshop (a group of male artists); it is impossible to attribute this painting to an individual. She is depicted with a round, white moon face and rose bud lips. Her hair is pulled back by a green and yellow veil and fastened by a decorative ribbon of silk that she holds. Dressed in loose layered clothing, brocaded by golden floral motifs, she is framed by a series of dark blue and gold borders. Gold floral motifs and arabesques (two common decorative motifs in Islamic art) appear to sprout out from behind those frames.

Baroque

The Baroque art period was roughly between 1600 and 1750. It incorporated some Renaissance stylistic characteristics but was typically more extravagant and characterized by a sense of grandeur and drama. The thematic use of chiaroscuro (an oil painting technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark) and tenebrism (a painting style that uses pronounced light contrasts for dramatic impact) to create an intense contrast between partially lit figures and dark atmospheric backgrounds were especially prevalent in portraits of European Baroque girls.

Like Renaissance girls, some girls posed with objects in backgrounds that alluded to their high status and birth, while others were depicted within scenes of their daily home lives. Baroque girls were painted in a less idealized manner than Renaissance girls and were more expressive in their movements and facial expressions. Despite the spread of Baroque art to European colonies such as India, the style did not influence portraits of girls outside of Europe. Portraits of Indian and Iranian girls were still painted in poses and styles that adhered to society’s standard of beauty. In Japan, girls were similarly painted within scenes of their everyday lives but in the ukiyo-e style, unique to Japanese art. Overall, portraits of Baroque girls continued to be either painted by family member artists or commissioned, but as we see a new group of middle-class art patrons emerge, there is a noticeable shift towards using girl studio models in paintings.

Attributed to Lalchand, Agra or Burhanpur, India, Princess Jahanara aged 18, 1632. The British Library, Add Or 3129, f. 13v. London, UK.

This portrait of Princess Jahanara is part of an album compiled by her brother, Prince Dara Shikoh. Many of the paintings in the album depict figures from the imperial court and offer an intriguing glimpse of court life during Mughal rule. Jahanara Begum was an imperial princess who took over the responsibilities of the Empress at the age of 17, when her mother died. She was also a follower of Sufism, a writer, and a patron of the arts. She regained her position even after one of her brothers overthrew her father and his heir apparent, and had her own tomb constructed of white marble.

In this portrait, she is pictured eating fruit, perhaps a mango. Fruit often appears in Mughal portraiture and is thought to have been viewed as evidence of status and a tool of diplomacy. The mango had particular significance, tying the Mughal rulers to the territory of India.

Rembrandt, Girl in a Picture Frame, 1641. Oil on panel, 105.5 x 76 cm. The Royal Castle Museum, Warsaw, Poland.

This is a beguiling depiction of an elegantly dressed unknown young Jewish girl. Rembrandt often portrayed figures dressed in historic costumes, as seen here. The sitter wears a dark red, fur-lined dress, gold necklaces, a wide belt and a grand black beret that shades her face. Her long, red hair is worn loose. According to Jewish tradition, a bride wore her hair loose when signing the marital contract with her fiancé.

Girl in a Picture Frame is also known as The Jewish Bride. By placing her delicate fingers on a black picture frame and leaning out, she appears to be entering the realm of the viewer. She is looking at her surroundings with a direct and contemplative gaze. Her raised eyebrow suggests a hint of surprise. The sense of movement is strengthened by the pearl earring which hangs away from her head. The overall effect is uncanny, playing upon the division between reality and the illusion of painting.

Mary Beale, Portrait of a Young Girl, c.1681. Oil paint on canvas, support: 535 x 460 mm, frame: 710 x 640 mm. Tate Britain, London, UK.

This profile portrait is an engagingly informal oil sketch of an unidentified girl. The artist, Mary Beale, was one of the first professional female painters in England. She often used members of her family and studio assistants as her models, so the sitter shown here could possibly be Kate Trioche, a studio assistant, or Alice Woodforde, Beale’s godchild. A great deal is known about Beale’s work because her husband, Charles, who primed canvases, kept a detailed account of her studies and experiments in an annotated almanac. This portrait appears to have been ‘painted up at once’, meaning in a single session. This quicker process can result in colors appearing muddy and opaque, as in some parts of this portrait. Nevertheless, the resulting sense of informality adds to the relaxed depiction of the girl.

Jean-Marc Nattier, Portrait of the Marquise d’Antin, 1738. Oil on canvas, 118 x 97 cm. Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris, France.

The girl in this painting is Mathilde de Canisy, the Marquise of Antin, who was 14 years old at the time. Mathilde wears a fitted bodice over a white silk dress that accentuates her neck and bare shoulders. Draped across her body to optimum effect is a lively floral sash. Her hair has been coiled around her head and adorned with flowers. The sitter is gracefully seated at the foot of an oak tree whilst gazing into the viewers eyes. Nattier painted her cheeks rose with blush, which was a popular cosmetic style during the Rococo period. Her bright blush contrasts with her ivory skin, powdered hair, and soft features. Mathilde is set against a landscape background. The landscape has been rendered with precision and the sky is reflected in the depths of the river.

Nishikawa Sukenobu, Girl sitting on her bed near an outer doorway and grinding ink, Edo period, 17th-18th century. Hanging scroll (mounted on panel), color, black and gold on silk, 35.2 x 65.9 cm. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA. Gift of Charles Lang Freer.

In this painting Sukenobu reveals his skill and his devotion to everyday themes. A girl is seated on her bed, holding a suzuribako (inkstone case) and grinding ink to write a letter. Bed quilts are piled on her bed, and behind the girl is a folding screen. The girl wears a blue robe patterned with a diaper (white diamond) motif. The girl looks out across a veranda into a garden. The veranda cuts diagonally across the composition to give the painting a sense of depth.

This print is typical of the ukiyo-e style, which means ‘pictures of the floating world’, referring to the licensed brothel and theatre districts in Japanese cities where the tradition originated. This girl, however, is neither theatrical nor attired as a courtesan, but simply a resident, performing an everyday activity. Girls were often maids or apprentices to old women in the floating world. The ukiyo-e style was targeted at all social classes and often focused on ordinary subjects.

Age of Empires

From 1750 to 1830, much of the world was governed by large empires, including the British, French, Dutch, Japanese, and Mughal. Art from this period reflects the cultural interactions created by this political landscape, including simplification of the cultures of oppressed people, as well as adoption of their clothing, symbolism, and techniques (what we now call cultural appropriation). Girls were a common subject for paintings in Europe, as the wealthy continued to commission portraits of their families, and women and girls were valued for their beauty. Ideas of childhood innocence and playfulness were also idolized.

While portraiture for the wealthy classes was less common across Asia, girls were featured in paintings because of their roles as actresses, dancers, and courtesans, or as representatives of their cultures in imperial narratives. European art of this period retained elements of Baroque painting, often with a simpler composition, including plain backgrounds, which contrasted with the fine dress often used to show girls’ status. In Japanese art, the ukiyo-e style, which translates as ‘pictures of the floating world,’ was widely popularized. It depicted young courtesans and familiar actresses, alongside images of girls playing traditional games and undertaking everyday tasks.

Thomas Gainsborough, The Painter’s Daughters chasing a Butterfly, c.1756. Oil on canvas, 113.5 x 105 cm. The National Gallery of Art, London, UK. Henry Vaughan Bequest, 1900.

This is a portrait of Thomas Gainsborough’s two young daughters, Mary and Margaret, in a dark garden setting. Their exact ages in the portrait are uncertain, as we don’t have records of their dates of birth. They are holding hands and the younger girl, Margaret, is reaching out towards a Cabbage White butterfly. Both girls wear fine ankle-length dresses with overskirts and have their hair up in elaborate styles, presenting them as refined and wealthy. Their mother was Margaret Gainsborough (née Burr).

Their father was one of Britain’s most renowned painters and was sought-after for his portraits of the rich and famous. The painting is in a similar style to Gainsborough’s famous portraits of wealthy adults, with soft brush strokes, seemingly natural poses, and a detailed landscape in the background. This portrait, however, highlights the girls’ relationship and their innocent play, rather than a sitter’s wealth, power or attractiveness which were often emphasized in Gainsborough’s work.

David Martin, Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray, c.1778. Oil on canvas. Scone Palace, Perthshire, Scotland. Courtesy of the Earl of Mansfield and Scone Palace.

This portrait of two cousins is significant in European social history, as it depicts a Black girl of high social status in 18th century England, painted alongside her white cousin. Dido Elizabeth Belle was the daughter of a British naval Captain, Sir John Lindsay, and an enslaved African woman, Maria Belle, born in the British West Indies. Her father brought her to England in 1765, where she lived in the aristocratic Kenwood House along with Lady Elizabeth Murray, the other girl featured in the portrait.

Dido’s exact position in the household is still unclear and this portrait depicts a complicated reality. She stands slightly behind her seated cousin, wearing an exoticized outfit, including a bushel of fruit and a feathered turban. However, she wears expensive clothes and jewelry and the affection between her and her cousin is clearly shown.

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Julie Le Brun (1780-1819) Looking in a Mirror, c. 1787. Oil on canvas, 73 x 59.4 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. Bequest of
Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019.

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun often painted portraits of her daughter, Julie. In this image Julie, aged about seven, stands in profile, holding a mirror to her side, and her reflection appears to look back at the viewer. Mirrors in paintings are often associated with either vanity or self-knowledge. Julie’s young age and simple, smart clothing make us more inclined to see the latter. As Julie’s reflection gazes out at the viewer, perhaps we may feel that she knows us too.

Julie grew up in Paris, where her mother was under the patronage of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France at the time. Just two years after this portrait was painted, Julie and her mother fled the French Revolution. Julie became an artist herself, beginning at a young age and working with pastels.

Torii Kiyonaga, Chinese Girls Playing Cards, No.8 from the series The Children Say “This Is Japan!” and Play the Games That They See in the Picturebooks, Edo period, c.1791.  Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper, 24.6 x 18.6 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. Denman Waldo Ross Collection.

Torii Kiyonaga was an important ukiyo-e painter. The ukiyo-e tradition used woodblock printing to reproduce images, making it more affordable to every social class. This painting is the eighth in a series entitled The Children Say “This Is Japan!” and Play the Games That They See in the Picturebooks. The series also includes images of activities such as flying kites and copying paintings. The girls appear in natural poses as they play. They wear kimonos, without makeup and with their hair tied up in a simpler style than the popular nihongami often worn by adult women in ukiyo-e paintings. Card games like this were very popular in China and provided entertainment for adults, boys and girls.

Unknown, Portrait of a Young Woman, late 18th century. Pastel, 40.6 x 32.4 cm. Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, USA.

Little is known about the circumstances of this portrait. The sitter has previously been misidentified as two other women of color, the poet Phillis Wheatley and the heiress Dido Elizabeth Belle, though neither possibility is likely. The sitter’s headscarf, called a tignon, is not a style that was fashionable in Europe, but was worn in the Caribbean and parts of the colonized American mainland. After laws were introduced forcing women of color to cover their hair, many turned their tignons into marks of distinction, using elaborate knots and expensive materials, like this fine white silk.

The portrait has previously been attributed to Jean-Étienne Liotard, a Swiss pastel portrait artist. The soft background and textured skin is in keeping, but the abstracted representation of the dress is more unusual for Liotard. An imprinted watermark of a Dutch company in the paper suggests the true artist may have been from, or working in, the Netherlands.

The 19th Century

The social, political, and cultural changes that took place around the world during the 19th century are difficult to condense into any number of words. With the continued growth of some Empires, especially the British and French, and the technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution, impacts on the people and the planet are immeasurable. The fine arts experienced the proliferation of ‘movements,’ culminating in an art explosion across Europe and the Americas at the end of the century, creating an ‘art world’ and standardizing ideas about artists and their work that still lingers today.

Girls became more of a focus of society, in terms of their innocence and molding them into ‘perfect’ women. As subjects of art, they became metaphors, archetypes, and allegories, while still consistently used as portrait sitters. However, they remain anonymous or de-identified, valued for their beauty or social standing and not their subjectivity. Girls were very popular, especially in works of the Impressionist painters, who used them as a bridge to nature for their perceived simplicity as well as natural bodies. The male gaze and imposed sexuality become more overt than ever before during this time period, exacerbated by the advent of the photograph.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Princess Gouramma (1841-1864), 1852. Oil on canvas, 153.2 x 91.8 cm. The Royal Collection Trust, Durbar Corridor, Osborne House, Isle of Wight, UK.

In 1852, Queen Victoria commissioned Franz Xaver Winterhalter to paint a portrait of the newly baptized Princess Victoria Gouramma. Adept in both Rococo and Neoclassical styles, Winterhalter depicts Gouramma standing near columns wearing beautiful, intricate Indian garb while leaning against a table featuring Indian artwork. The Bible in her hand highlights Gouramma’s conversion to Christianity. The use of Indian and Christian elements together was intentional and provide a visual summation of Gouramma’s life.

Gouramma was the daughter of Chikka Vira Rajendra, Coorg’s last ruler prior to British colonization, and she was used as a tool to both fight and further incursions. The lightest of her sisters, Gouramma was a key component in her father’s successful plot to wield the British colonial mindset to escape exile and gain passage to England, while the British monarchy attempted to use Gouramma to proselytize in India to further colonize the subcontinent. Gouramma rebelled, however, becoming the center of at least two scandals with young men. She married a British military man at nineteen and died at 23 after contracting tuberculosis for the second time.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No.1: The White Girl, 1862. Oil on canvas, 213 x 107.9 cm. The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Joanna Hiffernan wears a white house dress, standing before a white curtain on a bearskin rug, grasping a white lily in her hand. Her red hair is loose, and she gazes directly at the viewer. Joanna was nineteen years old when James McNeill Whistler, her lover of two years, painted her portrait in the winter of 1861-1862. Attempting to establish his career as an artist, Whistler worked on Joanna’s portrait daily and submitted it to the 1862 juried exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The 19th century viewers were uncomfortable with the Pre-Raphaelite portrait and Symphony in White was rejected many times before becoming one of the most popular works in an 1863 protest exhibition in Paris, then one of Whistler’s most famous paintings.

John Singer Sargent, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882. Oil on canvas, 221.93 x 222.57 cm. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Gift of Mary Louisa Boit, Julia Overing Boit, Jane Hubbard Boit, and Florence D. Boit in memory of their father, Edward Darley Boit.

Julia (age 4), Mary Louisa (8), Jane (12), and Florence (14) posed for a portrait in the autumn of 1882. Their father’s friend, John Singer Sargent, arranged them oddly in the foyer of their elegant and shadowy Paris apartment and painted an unusual portrait. Sargent presented each girl individually but obscured Jane and Florence’s faces, a contradictory practice for portraiture. The pinafores and upward glances at the viewer are thought to capture the sisters at play despite the lack of interaction among them.

The tall Japanese vases disguise the girls’ small size. Sargent sampled various approaches to portraiture from the past and present in his early works. The dark interior, subdued palette, and confrontational look echo Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas, while the odd arrangement of the subjects as family members with little interaction was likely inspired by Sargent’s French contemporary Edgar Degas.

Cecilia Beaux, Ernesta (Child with Nurse), 1894. Oil on canvas, 128.3 x 96.8 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. Maria DeWitt Jesup Fund, 1965.

Aimee Ernesta Drinker, the artist’s two-year-old niece and favorite subject, holds her nurse Mattie’s hand as they walk across a wooden floor, “…We see not a rambunctious two-year-old, but a self-possessed queen calmly surveying the kingdom passing before her,” as Mattie’s hand provides security and comfort. The composition and brushwork reflect Cecilia Beaux’s respect for artists Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas.

In a departure from the works of her contemporary, Mary Cassatt, Beaux painted her subjects as small adults. She commonly centered the child in her paintings, hence Mattie’s cropped figure. Beaux’s style for strong, likeness-driven portraits was often compared to John Singer Sargent’s works. Ernesta grew up to become an artist, traveler, and writer who often commented on the social issues of the day, and Beaux was honored by Eleanor Roosevelt as “the American woman who had made the greatest contribution to the culture of the world”.

20th Century

The 20th century saw the development of numerous modernist art movements in the West. Artistic perspectives changed as artists experimented and approached new ways to represent reality. Girls were painted in a more emotionally expressive manner where subjectivity was preferred over realistic depictions. Portraits of American and European girls were colorful and painted in the stylistic trends of the time, with some being bolder in coloration than others. Their subjects varied as some were girls who the artists had encountered on their travels, while others were girls who had come to their studios to model. Some female artists even painted their own self-portraits.

In other parts of the world, various girl portraits were influenced by these Western styles. In South Africa, art movements like Expressionism (an artistic style that aims to represent subjective emotions) impacted how girls were portrayed. In Asia, artists familiar with Western painting styles painted girls similarly to their European counterparts, in styles more in line with 19th century Impressionism (a painting style characterized by small, visible brushstrokes) and Post-Impressionism. Despite the impact of the modernist art movements in Asia, Japanese and Korean girls were still painted in traditional art styles.

Élisabeth Chaplin, Self-portrait, 1908. Oil on canvas. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

Élisabeth Chaplin was a French painter, who is known for her landscapes and portraits. She came from a family of artists. The family moved to Italy where Élisabeth painted untrained, but later she was mentored by Paul-Albert Besnard. She worked in Italy and France. This self-portrait shows Élisabeth as if caught midway through a stroll in the countryside during a stormy day, as told by the grey sky in the background and the fact that she is holding quite a large green umbrella.

Élisabeth is very close to the viewer and is turning as if she has been called. There is a neutral expression on her face. Her hair is down, and she is wearing a black hat with several dashes of color which resemble flowers. Élisabeth is dressed in a coat appropriate for what looks like autumn. She uses quite a dark color palette, with greys, dark greens, and browns, although the above-mentioned hat and flowers bring some light contrasts.

Gustav Klimt, Mäda Primavesi (1903-2000), 1912-13. Oil on canvas, 149.9 x 110.5 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. Gift of André and Clara Mertens, in memory of her mother, Jenny Pulitzer Steiner, 1964.

The eight-year-old Mäda came from a wealthy family, who were patrons of Viennese art and design. The dress was created by Klimt´s partner, avant-garde fashion designer Emilie Flöge, at his suggestion. Even though Mäda considered herself a tomboy, she is wearing quite a fancy dress with flowers adorning the sleeves and belt. She also has a blossom on the side of her head. Her “supergirl” half pose and how she looks at the viewer conveys a sense of confidence, which makes her look older than her years. Many sketches were made before the final painting, with different poses, costumes, and backgrounds. There are some Oriental motifs on the wall and the rug is very colorful, as in many of Klimt’s paintings, but the viewer’s gaze is drawn in by Mäda’s powerful stare.

Amrita Sher-Gil, The Little Girl in Blue, 1934. Oil on canvas, 48 x 40.6 cm. Private collection.

In 2018, Sher-Gil’s 1934 portrait The Little Girl in Blue sold for 187 million rupees (2.6 million dollars) at Sotheby’s auction in Mumbai. The portrait depicts the artist’s eight-year-old cousin, Lalit “Babit” Kaur, who was fondly referred to as Babette. Quite amazingly, actual commentary from Babette exists, talking about the painting: “It was a beautiful morning,” a nonagenarian Babette recalled. “It was mummy’s idea… I was made to sit in the garden and pose [and I] absolutely hated it.” This is somewhat obvious by her expression, perhaps annoyed, perhaps disinterested: Babette’s head turns away. Her vibrant blue top appears in stark contrast to the figure’s solemn gaze and passive posture. A first-person account of posing for an artist and having their portrait made by a girl is exceedingly rare.

Irma Stern, Malay Girl, 1938. Oil on canvas, 56 x 57.5 cm. Private collection.

This is one of many portraits that Irma Stern created from her travels during her lifetime. It is clearly from the Expressionist movement, where emotions came before the expression of reality, as this particular portrait conveys so well. A young girl is shown looking directly at the viewer against a bold and vibrant orange background. Her simple dark purple blouse contrasts with the sitters’ warm skin tones: her dark hair frames her face. It is unclear if she is sitting or standing, and her hands are not visible. The way she is looking out with her honey-colored eyes is captivating and invites the viewer to wonder what she might be thinking.

William H. Johnson, Anna Mae, ca. 1944. Oil on paperboard, 73.6 x 60.6 cm. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C., USA. Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.631.

This painting depicts a solitary, seated young girl called Anna Mae. She is simply but neatly attired in a sleeveless green dress with white and green dots. Small in comparison to the chair, Anna Mae can only touch the floor with the tip of her shoes. Her hair is down and on top of her head she wears a blue ribbon. Her facial expression seems quite serious.

This painting can be categorized in the ‘conscious naiveté’ style in which Johnson produced part of his oeuvre. These are simplistic in their nature and only use a few colors. Johnson favored painting African American subjects. He painted a series of portraits of seated women staring directly at the viewer, which Anna Mae might be a part of.