19th and Early 20th Century Sculpture

In the glow of the white gown flowing underneath the figure in the armchair, the subject’s legs extend, casting strong shadows on the wrinkled fabric. Similarly, the bodice of the reclining girl radiates a pink hue onto the armchair. The shaded legs are matched by the tanned hue of her arms, shoulders, and face, which melt into the background through her hair. The painting on the wall could easily be replaced by a mirror, although the covered shoulders and hands clasped in front of the subject clearly indicate her social status. Sternen positioned himself so as to be able to voyeuristically observe the curves of her body – the left leg crossed over her right and the small, pert breasts under the silken negligee.

The painter simply strove for a monumental composition. The vertical and horizontal lines of the picture frame in the background divide the work up on symmetrical axes with the counterplay of the armchair’s diagonal cutting through the space, amplified by the S-curve of the girl’s body. Virtuosic and suggestive execution transcend the voyeurism and sensuality, giving the depiction a bit more erotic stimulus. As the portrait in the background is recognizable as Jelica Žuža, we must date Ženska v Naslanjaču to the first half of the 1940s.