About this objectThis close-up of a young woman so immersed in her book that she casually sinks into the sofa suggests the possibility of pleasure, privacy and escapism encapsulated in the act of reading.
The cropped perspective of this painting is indebted to Edgar Degas (1834-1917), the French Impressionist painter. Like Degas, Steer truncated figures in his painting compositions to create the effect of capturing snapshots of daily life. Steer believed that the painter should be ‘inspired by his own time’ and ‘find his pictures in the scenes around him.’
MakerSteer, Philip Wilson
Maker Rolepainter
Date Made1895
Period19th century
Medium and Materialsmedium: oil
support: canvas
Style and IconographyImpressionist
Style and IconographyPortrait
Techniqueoil on canvas
Measurementssupport height: 63.5 cm
support width: 80 cm
