Maria Hahn, Painter's Wife 1901

Raimundo de Madrazo made this portrait of Maria Hahn, Painter's Wife with oil paint on canvas. Look at the interplay of blues and whites! It’s really about capturing light. I can imagine Madrazo’s studio, the smell of oil paint, the quiet focus as he tried to capture not just Maria’s likeness but also something of her spirit. What did it feel like to be her, the painter’s wife? Her blue dress shimmers and sags into the surface of the painting. The lace trim, the delicate flowers in her hair, and the pearly tones are an exquisite dance. I wonder if he was thinking about other great portraitists as he worked, all those artists who came before, each adding their own brushstroke to the ongoing conversation of painting. It's like they are all subtly influencing each other across time. Painting is this form of expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.