Portrait of Mrs E. Gadolin-Lagervall 1901

Magnus Enckell captured Mrs. E. Gadolin-Lagervall with oils and brushstrokes that feel both deliberate and intimate. I imagine Enckell standing before his canvas, building up the form of his sitter with layers of translucent paint. See how he’s rendered the soft glow of her skin with delicate, feathery strokes, contrasting with the dark, velvety background, almost like a chiaroscuro effect. The lace of her blouse is evoked with swift flicks of white, just enough to suggest texture and detail without getting fussy, which, I think, is a total skill. I wonder what Enckell thought about while making this portrait, maybe admiring her concentration on the book, perhaps thinking about other artists he admired, like Manet or Whistler, who also captured the quiet dignity of their sitters. Each stroke seems to be an act of inquiry, a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world through paint. And, in the spirit of that ongoing exchange of ideas across time, that conversation between painters, we can all find our own connections and meanings in this beautiful artwork, too.