Woman Reading

Woman Reading epitomizes Dalou's innovative interest in everyday scenes, far removed from traditional mythological or historical themes. The work's carefully wrought facial features and impressionistic texturing combine to create a dynamic sculpture, rich in detail. It can also be glimpsed through the open back of the chair, providing a view of the woman from additional angles. Artists of the period often depicted middle-class women reading in their homes, representing the bourgeois aspiration to education.

Credit: Gift of Johanna and Ludovic Lawrence, Jerusalem, In memory of Elisheva Cohen