Mrs. Potter Palmer 1896

This etching of Mrs. Potter Palmer was made by Anders Zorn in the late 19th or early 20th century. The most striking feature is the dark, almost winged shape looming behind her, a dramatic rendering of a feathered fan. Consider how wings, throughout history, symbolize freedom, divinity, and aspiration. One might trace this motif from ancient Mesopotamian reliefs of winged deities, to Renaissance paintings of angels, to its darker, more ambiguous manifestation here. The fan, usually an object of lightness and flirtation, takes on a more ominous presence. This ambiguous shadow may be the artist's attempt to capture the sitter's complex persona. It engages our subconscious, hinting at the hidden, darker sides that exist beneath the surface of elegance and refinement. Like a restless spirit, the winged form persists, reshaping itself across cultures and eras, carrying echoes of our deepest fears and desires.