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Hanna Pauli
Portrait of an Old Lady, 1886

1886

About the Item

This small and delicate watercolor is believed to depict Madame Papillon, a subject also portrayed by Hanna Pauli in an oil painting dated 1886. The portrait was created during the spring and summer of 1886 in Barbizon, France, where the artist stayed between 1885 and 1887. It was in Barbizon that Hanna Pauli famously painted her future husband, the artist Georg Pauli, in a work now part of the collection at Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde. Hanna Pauli (née Hirsch) was born to music publisher Abraham Hirsch. She studied under August Malmström in Stockholm (1876–1879) before continuing her education at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and later at Académie Colarossi in Paris (1885–1887). In 1887, she married Georg Pauli, a painter, sculptor, and writer. Together, they built Villa Pauli in Nacka, Sweden, which became a hub for cultural figures of the time. Known for her intimate interiors and psychologically penetrating portraits, Hanna Pauli holds a special place in Swedish art history. Her notable works include Friends with Ellen Key (1900–1907), Venny Soldan (1887), and Verner von Heidenstam (1893). She and her husband donated significant works to Jönköping County Museum, and her art is represented in collections at Nationalmuseum, Norrköping Art Museum, and the Gothenburg Museum of Art. A retrospective of her work is planned at Nationalmuseum in 2025. watercolor on paper signed Hanna Pa a tergo and authenticated by Agneta Pauli (the artist's granddaughter). paper dimensions 18.5 x 13.5 cm visible image c. 13 x 11.5 cm framed 37 x 32.5 cm Literature: Pauli also portrayed Madame Papillon in an oil painting dated 1886, measuring 38 x 28 cm, exhibited in Stockholm at Nordiska Bokhandeln in the exhibition Hanna Pauli 1864–1940. See the catalog of paintings by Hanna Pauli exhibited at Nordiska Bokhandeln, autumn 1923, no. 3: "Mere Papillon. Barbizon, France - 1886."
  • Creator:
    Hanna Pauli (1864 - 1940, Swedish)
  • Creation Year:
    1886
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Width: 12.6 in (32 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Stockholm, SE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1445215598342

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