Lady in White Gown with Ochre Shawl

Paul Villers represented the lady in front of a broadly painted brown background which is illuminated at her back.¹ Her face and cleavage are reproduced in warm skin shades and softly graded parts of light and shadow. The lady has turned her head towards the observer and is looking at him with a serious, unmoved expression. Only the folds and pattern of the ochre-coloured shawl draped around her shoulders add a certain dynamism to the somewhat static picture. The blue colour of the embroidery on the lady’s shawl corresponds to the blue bandeau in her curly hair. Similar to the ladies in the other two likeness by Villers displayed here, this sitter is wearing earrings in the shape of simple hoops, called creoles.

J. S. O.