Lady in Blue

This painting is probably a portrait of one of Corot’s friends visiting his studio which can be identified by the landscape of France and the view of Italy on the wall. But the painting is first and foremost a pure exercise in painterly skills, with the red tip of the fan set off against the blue fabric of the dress, and the cushions contrasting the luminous flesh of the woman’s arm, with a slanting line formed by the leg of the easel enhancing the subtle balance of horizontals and verticals.