“Girls in the Garden with Glass Ball (Elsbeth),” an artwork by Paula Modersohn-Becker, created between 1901 and 1902, employs oil, canvas, and tempera as its medium. This expressionist genre painting, measuring 35.7 x 35.7 cm, epitomizes Modersohn-Becker’s contribution to the Expressionism movement.
The artwork portrays a young girl, possibly the eponymous Elsbeth, dressed in a pale blue dress and white bonnet, standing pensively in a garden. To her right is a curious glass ball mounted on a green pedestal, reflecting an inverted image of the surrounding environment, including a house and trees in the background. The use of broad, textured brushstrokes and vivid, yet subdued colors embodies the principles of expressionist style, conveying emotion and atmosphere over realistic representation. The overall composition evokes a sense of contemplation and quietude, characteristic of Modersohn-Becker’s work.
