Portrait of the Artist’s Wife 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen sketched this portrait of his wife using pen and ink. The rapid strokes and economical use of line give a sense of spontaneity. But don’t be fooled. Mastering this kind of directness takes a lot of work! Look at how Steinlen varies the pressure on his pen to create different thicknesses of line. This adds depth and shadow to the face. The hatching technique, where he uses closely spaced parallel lines, creates tonal variation, a common practice at the time, particularly in the field of printmaking. Steinlen’s background as an illustrator and printmaker for journals and magazines is clear here. Such publications were booming in this period, and so were expectations of artists. They had to be quick on their feet, ready to produce images rapidly and at low cost. In the end, this is a touching portrait, born as much from economic realities as from artistic intention. It reminds us that art-making is always a product of both skill and circumstance.