Back of a Woman (Dos de Femme)

Albert Besnard

National Gallery of Art

The image depicts an artistic rendering of a person's upper body, shown from the back, and without clothing. The person is seated and turned away from the viewer, with their upper torso and head displayed. The head is slightly bent forward and to the side, with long hair that appears loosely gathered, suggesting the style of a bun or ponytail. The lines of the drawing are textured and abstracted, giving a sense of depth and contour to the figure's form. There are no visible facial features due to the angle and style of the depiction. The surrounding area is filled with dense, hatched lines, creating a dark, lightly patterned background that contrasts with the lighter figure. The setting appears to be inside, as indicated by the enclosed space and the straight, horizontal line that may suggest a piece of furniture or architectural detail. There are no other objects or jewelry present in the image.