The artwork, titled “Emma Zorn, reading,” was created by Anders Zorn in 1887. It is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 40.2 x 60.6 cm, and belongs to the Realism art movement. The genre of the artwork is portraiture, and it is currently housed in the Zorn Collections in Mora, Sweden.
The artwork depicts a woman, presumably Emma Zorn, engrossed in reading a large sheet of paper or a newspaper. The subject is captured in a moment of quiet contemplation, focusing intently on the text before her. The painterly technique employed by Anders Zorn is characterized by soft brushstrokes and a naturalistic color palette, which together create a lifelike and intimate representation. The background reveals subtle, blurred details, drawing attention to the subject’s focused demeanor. The use of light and shadow enhances the three-dimensional quality of the portrait, further emphasizing the serene and absorbed state of the reader.
