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The portrait is an essay in subtle earth tones accented by the woman’s long dangling earring.

The simple flourish that suggests the figure’s right hand demonstrates Bell’s adept brushwork.

This figure study exemplifies Bell’s early work and Munich School training.

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Edward August Bell

Portrait of a Young Woman, about 1887

oil on canvas

39 ½  x 23 in.

Gift of the Sons of J. Ottis Adams

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In 1883 Edward August Bell took his first trip abroad and enrolled at the Royal Academy in Munich as a student of the realist painter Ludvig von Loefftz.  During his stay in Munich Bell participated in a number of important exhibitions, including several at the Royal Academy.  In 1889 Bell exhibited Lady in Gray at the Paris Exposition, which brought him international attention and an award.  The painting portrayed a standing woman in a long gown against a softly patterned background.  This style of painting would be used often in Bell’s portraits of women from this period.  During his lifetime, Bell received great recognition for his work and exhibited at numerous international expositions. 

Portrait of a Young Women is an essay in subtle earth tones accented by the woman’s long dangling earrings.  The simple flourish that suggests the figure’s right hand demonstrates Bell’s adept brushwork. The painting exemplifies Bell’s work from his Munich School training and strikes a follows the format established in his award-winning Lady in Gray.

Reference

William H. Gerdts.  Art Across America, Volume I, New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0896600939