1879
1879
Oil on canvas.
56,0 cm x 46,0 cm.
In this Still Life (1879), Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) portrays items placed on red velvet, such as a fan, a glass container, a porcelain urn, jewellery and a small putto sculpture. It was painted at the Adolf von Becker private academy, where Schjerfbeck studied between 1877 and 1880. Von Becker followed French art school methods, teaching his students the conventional techniques for using oil paints and colour palettes, among others. This still life, made by Schjerfbeck at the age of 17, reflects influences of French realism, obtained from her teacher, but also the young artist’s exceptional talent and already highly evolved technique.
