L'Heure (The Hour)

Emile Coulon

National Gallery of Art

The image depicts an upper-body view of a woman who is facing forward. She is positioned in front of a large clock with Roman numerals, and her hand is raised to her face, with one finger placed over her lips in a gesture suggestive of silence. Her facial features are delicately rendered with a serene expression, and she has dark, shoulder-length hair partially covered by an elaborate, oversized bow or hat, with a butterfly motif. The woman is dressed in a garment that has large, voluminous sleeves and appears to have fur details at the shoulders. She wears no visible jewelry and does not hold any objects besides the gesture of her hand. The background of the image is a crafted design of a clock face, which seems to be part of a larger artistic composition, giving the scene a timeless quality.