19th-century

Knitting Girl With Headscarf (1885)

Eugen von Blaas (Italian, 1843–1931)

A young woman in a headscarf knits with quiet focus, her hands and the textures of wool and fabric rendered in vivid detail.
Madame Gautreau (Madame X) (c. 1883)

John Singer Sargent

A daring portrait of a woman whose defiant elegance scandalized Paris, blending luminous skin with dark, dramatic contrasts.
Portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1865-1932) (1892)

John Singer Sargent

A mesmerizing portrait blending elegance and spontaneity, where light, texture, and gaze converge to reveal quiet charisma.
Voyage autour du monde Pl.026 (1825-1830)

Louis-Isidore Duperrey (French, 1786–1865)

A delicate exploration of discovery, blending scientific detail with the quiet poetry of distant shores.
View from Mr. Southey’s House, Keswick (ca. 1838)

Thomas Creswick (English, 1811–1869)

A tranquil Lake District scene, where soft light and quiet details transform the ordinary into something magical.
Maurolicus muelleri (1870)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A luminous study of a silvery fish, rendered with scientific detail and painterly grace against watery depths.
Yellow shawl

Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (Russian, 1839–1915)

A luminous yellow shawl envelops the subject in warmth, its intricate folds and soft shadows hinting at untold stories beneath the quiet surface.
The Kiss (1859)

Francesco Hayez (Italian, 1791–1882)

A passionate embrace frozen in time, where love and danger intertwine amid swirling fabrics and dramatic shadows.
Young Woman Reading (c 1880)

Osman Hamdi Bey (Turkish, 1842–1910)

A young woman lost in thought while reading, her expression caught between concentration and quiet yearning.