Jeanne Günzburger

Loose lines that vary in color follow the contours of the face, body, and clothing of Jeanne Amélie Günzburger-Malan, emphasizing the figure against the pale, pinkish background. Typical of Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler’s portraits, Günzberger-Malan sits frontally oriented and mostly centered in the composition, gazing out at the viewer. With a tilt of the head and arms open to rest casually on the chair, she seems to convey a sense of self-assured ease, also echoed in her modern sense of fashion: a loose, corset-less gown. Günzburger-Malan was the wife of Geneva businessman Louis S. Günzberger, who was an avid collector of Hodler’s work.

Internationally celebrated in his day, Hodler painted many genres and subjects. From about 1900, he was especially in demand for his portraits, which he liked to use as a vehicle for experimenting with the expressiveness of his lines and colors.