Young woman combing her hair

This strikingly modern sheet dates from early in the career of the Belgian artist François Maréchal and exemplifies his pervading interest in nocturnal lighting conditions. Here, a single light source casts a narrow, stark shadow that frames the right side of the model’s body as she stands against a blank wall, apparently interrupted in the private ritual of combing her hair. While the dramatic spotlight-effect might seem to render her vulnerable, her placid, perhaps even steely, expression suggests self-possession. Maréchal went on to become a drawing instructor at the Académie des beaux-arts de Liège in 1905 and eventually its director.