The Artist’s Daughter Käthe Reading in a Chair 1893 - 1895

Max Liebermann created this drawing of his daughter with charcoal and white chalk on paper. The composition centres on a young girl, deeply engrossed in a book, seated in a large armchair. The subdued palette of greys and browns evokes a sense of quiet introspection. Liebermann's structural approach focuses on the interplay between light and shadow, using broad strokes to define form and texture. The sweeping lines that make up the chair contrast with the careful attention given to Käthe’s face, which is delicately rendered. This contrast may be an exploration of the differing roles of background and subject, and an exploration of how each informs the other. The seemingly casual arrangement, however, is carefully constructed to draw the viewer's eye to the figure. Liebermann employs a semiotic strategy by focusing on the act of reading itself. The book becomes a signifier for knowledge, introspection, and escape. The drawing prompts us to consider the cultural and philosophical contexts surrounding childhood, education, and representation. It is through such nuanced depictions that Liebermann invites ongoing interpretation, questioning fixed meanings and engaging with new ways of perceiving space, perception and representation.