Artwork Page for Old Woman

Details / Information for Old Woman

Old Woman

c. 1923–24

Chaïm Soutine

(Russian, 1893–1943)
Culture
Russia (worked in France), 20th century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Framed: 88.9 x 78.7 x 8.6 cm (35 x 31 x 3 3/8 in.); Unframed: 65 x 54 cm (25 9/16 x 21 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Mildred Andrews Fund 1988.94
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was inspired by Soutine's work for his short story "Skin."

Description

In the nearly 200 portraits Chaïm Soutine painted, he was remarkably consistent in his approach:he almost always painted solitary, unidentified models, seated in half- or three-quarter-length poses facing frontally with hands placed on the hips or folded in the lap, as seen here. The physical distortions—the woman’s large hands, arched green eyebrows, and pointed chin—executed with agitated, slashing brushstrokes heighten the portrait’s expressive qualities. The sitter here is remarkably similar to the figure in another Soutine portrait of a schoolteacher named Melanie at the Columbus Museum of Art.
An oil portrait depicts a woman in thick, fluid and opaque brushstrokes facing us, eyes looking over our left shoulder. She sits in a green chair, wearing a green dress and draping her oversized hands over one another on her lap. The orange and gray background is painted in visible strokes that arc around the round silhouette of her chair.

Old Woman

c. 1923–24

Chaïm Soutine

(Russian, 1893–1943)
Russia (worked in France), 20th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork