Girl With A Rose
Gustave Léonard de Jonghe was a master at painting fashionable women, and here he captures a moment of dreamy anticipation. The subject, dressed in a stunning white lace gown, clutches a red rose while gazing away, perhaps waiting for a secret admirer. Notice the folding screen behind her featuring cranes and flowers; this is a nod to 'Japonisme,' the huge craze for Japanese art that swept through Europe in the late 1800s. The soft light from the window bathes the scene in a romantic glow, highlighting the intricate embroidery on the table and the delicate flowers in the vase.