''Portrait of Jeanne Kéfer'' is a portrait by

Fernand Khnopff Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff (12 September 1858 – 12 November 1921) was a Belgian symbolist painter. Life Youth and training Fernand Khnopff was born to a wealthy family that was part of the high bourgeoisie for generations. Khnopf ...

, painted in 1885. Currently housed and exhibited in

The J. Paul Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and fea ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

History

A five-year-old Jeanne Kéfer was a daughter of the artist's friend, pianist Gustave Kéfer. The painting had been scheduled to be showcased at

Les XX ''Les XX'' ( French; "''Les Vingt''"; ; ) was a group of twenty Belgian painters, designers and sculptors, formed in 1883 by the Brussels lawyer, publisher, and entrepreneur Octave Maus. For ten years, they held an annual exhibition of their art ...

, 1885, in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, but Khnopff had not managed to finish it, and the exhibition took place in 1886. The painting received positive critic reviews.

Description

Jeanne Kéfer is depicted standing on a porch before a closed door with her thumb catching the edge of her bow as she reaches into her coat. The portrait symbolizes the child's vulnerability and uncertainty in facing the outside world. The message is emphasized by the composition itself as the Jeanne's body is framed against the adult-sized door.Jeanne Kéfer
. Getty.edu. Retrieved 2014-07-27.

External links

The J. Paul Getty Museum Official Website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of Jeanne Kefer Kefer, Jeanne Kefer, Jeanne Symbolism Paintings in the J. Paul Getty Museum