The artwork “Woman with a Fan,” painted by Francisco Goya around 1805, is an oil painting on canvas characterized by the Romanticism art movement. With dimensions of 84 by 103 centimeters, this portrait is currently housed at the Louvre museum in Paris, France. The piece typifies Goya’s portraiture style during an era that emphasized individual expression and the sublime.
The artwork presents a young woman viewed almost frontally, with a slight turn of her body to her right, engaging the viewer with a direct and candid gaze, which is quite characteristic of Goya’s approach to portraiture. She is holding a fan in her right hand, suggesting a sense of casual elegance. The attire of the figure suggests a period style typically worn by women of a certain social standing during the early 19th century, possibly indicative of the bourgeoisie or aristocracy. Goya’s use of soft yet dynamic brushwork imbues the subject with a lifelike presence, as seen in the delicate rendering of her dress and the subtle interplay of light and shadow on her features.
The background of the artwork is subdued, featuring neutral shades that place the emphasis entirely on the figure. This aspect of the composition focuses the viewer’s attention on the subject, defining her as the clear focal point without distraction. The overall tone of the portrait is one of restrained refinement and captures a moment of stillness, showcasing Goya’s skill in rendering the complexities of human expression.
