Portrait of Henryka Cohn

• Richard Gerstl (1883–1908)
• 1908
• Oil on canvas
• Leopold Museum, Vienna

The pianist Henryka Cohn was a part of the composer Arnold Schönberg’s close circle of friends that included Richard Gerstl. The composition of this picture follows the tradition of portraying upper-class women but is painted in an expressive style that deviates from academic approach. The sofa dissolves into red and blue dots, and the background is rendered in wild, vehement brushstrokes, expressing Henryka’s passion as a pianist. The blue edging of the white dress surrounds her body like an aura.