Elle, Paul Cesar. Portrait of a Woman Hermitage ~ part 13

The drawing presents a woman in profile, her gaze directed towards the viewer despite the three-quarter perspective. She is adorned with a large, elaborate hat that dominates the upper portion of the composition and casts shadows across her face and shoulders. The artist employed a delicate pencil technique, utilizing varied line weights to suggest form and texture. Hatching and cross-hatching are prominent in rendering the shading on her neck and the folds of her garment.
The woman’s expression is subtle; theres a hint of melancholy or introspection conveyed through the slight downturn of her lips and the softness around her eyes. The hat, while fashionable, also serves to partially obscure her features, creating an air of mystery and perhaps suggesting a degree of social constraint. Her hair appears loosely styled, escaping from beneath the brim of the hat in soft curls that frame her face.
The background is minimal, consisting primarily of a warm, neutral tone which allows the figure to take center stage. The signature, located in the lower right corner, provides context regarding authorship and date (Paris, 1929).
Beyond the straightforward portraiture, theres an underlying sense of fleeting beauty and transience. The sketch-like quality lends a feeling of immediacy, as if capturing a momentary impression rather than a meticulously planned representation. This contributes to a subtext that speaks to the ephemeral nature of fashion and perhaps even the sitter’s own identity within a specific historical moment. The drawing seems less concerned with precise realism and more focused on conveying an atmosphere – one of quiet elegance tinged with a subtle sadness.