Seated Woman

Seated Woman is one of the paintings of Théodule Ribot where he paved a way of his own, away from the mainstream painting techniques. He was an individualist who has a quiet successful career which lasted a long time. The painting depicts a woman seated on a wooden stool, engaged in reading some material, like paper or books. She is dressed in a maid uniform like the earlier days, with her apron tied. It appears dirty with patches of dust which shows she works hand on in the house. His use of chiaroscuro is brilliant as it shows psychological states grew from his admiration for Spanish and Dutch baroque masters such as Ribera and Rembrandt, an enthusiasm shared by his contemporaries Courbet and Bonvin. He prefers stark contrasts which show the heavy gloom on the woman's face as light falls on her, as the background suggest a dark environment.