Description:

Curatorial Narrative In Bernhard sterman's "Female Portrait" of 1924, we find a work that situates itself squarely within the realist tradition, yet one that also subtly subverts its conventions. Through an impasto brushwork that lends a tactile quality to the subject's skin and fabrics, sterman conjures an atmosphere of quiet intimacy, as if the viewer has chanced upon a private moment. This is reinforced by the neutral tones and soft yellows and browns that dominate the palette, imbuing the work with a sense of classical restraint. The overall effect is one of stately elegance, a quality that sterman's mastery of figurative representation only serves to heighten.When enlarged to 44x54 inches, "Female Portrait" assumes a spatial rhythm that harmonizes exquisitely with luxury interior environments. The chromatic structure, built as it is around a core of neutral tones, proves particularly effective at creating a sense of atmospheric