Rijksmuseum

Pietje (Girl Reading)

Date

c. 1898

Medium

panel, gold leaf, oil paint (paint)

Institution

Rijksmuseum

Pietje was probably a relative of Suze Robertson’s childminder. The artist painted her in this pose at least three times. In this version, the gold leaf behind her head forms a striking contrast to the painted brown tones. Robertson was fascinated by gold, initially rendering it in paint. Here she boldly took this a step further by applying gold leaf. By using this material the painting acquires a mystical aura.

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