Spanish Woman

• Hans Böhler (1884‒1961)
• 1919
• Oil on canvas
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

A woman is sitting in a casual but self-confident pose, in an abstract space filled with pastose swirls of ochre and blue. The woman’s right hand on her lap is pointing to something, as if she is in the middle of a conversation with another person outside the picture. Hans Böhler’s characteristic bright colors and energetic style convey the sitter’s noble yet light-hearted attitude. Böhler specialized in portraits and landscapes that emphasize the human emotions and nature’s vitality with intense colors and bold touches.