Portrait of a Woman

Jean-Étienne Liotard

1758–1762

Black, white and traces of red chalk, on blue paper

J. Paul Getty Museum

A black, white, and red chalk drawing on blue paper depicts a woman from the chest up, looking to her right with her hands clasped in her lap. The drawing is rendered with loose, expressive lines. I claim myself to be one of the painters who succeeds well in producing extremely close resemblance in portraits. I owe this accomplishment . . . to the fact that I always try to give a maximum of fullness and relief in my pictures. A master at capturing sitters in fleeting moments of informality, Jean-Étienne Liotard depicted this unknown sitter possessed with a remarkable degree of warmth and depth. She leans back slightly and sits with her hands casually folded in her lap, gazing to the side. Liotard's delicate application of white chalk records the details of her flounced sleeves and ruffled collar, and beautifully highlights th