“Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus,” painted by Edouard Manet in 1868, is an exemplary work from the Impressionist art movement. This portrait is housed in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK.
The artwork presents a seated young woman, Mademoiselle Claus, adorned in a flowing white dress with a delicate floral arrangement in her hair, accentuating her dignified demeanor. She is partially obscured by a green railing that runs horizontally across the composition, adding depth and a subtle complexity to the portrait. The background features muted shades, ensuring the subject remains the central focus. The painterly brushstrokes characteristic of Manet’s style infuse the artwork with a sense of both immediacy and permanence, capturing the quiet gracefulness of the sitter.
