Brustbild einer Dame (_Eva_) 1840

This is Fritz Bamberger's pencil drawing 'Brustbild einer Dame (_Eva_)' which was made sometime in the mid-19th century. The artist was part of the 19th-century German art scene, a period marked by significant social and political change, which saw the rise of nationalism and the bourgeoisie. Bamberger renders his sitter, most likely a woman from his social circle, in a delicate, intimate manner. The title, with its use of the name 'Eva,' gives the drawing an immediate sense of the personal and private. We see a typical representation of women during this era. The artwork shows how women were often portrayed as delicate and graceful. Yet, it also conveys something more human. There is a sense of softness in the sitter’s gaze. The lines of the drawing feel tentative. The drawing invites us to consider the roles and identities of women in 19th-century society, as well as the subtle ways artists could convey individual character within the confines of social expectations.