Focus on this artwork and discuss the Analysis.
Girl with Chrysanthemums is considered among the most representative works of the artist. It was painted in 1894 in Munich. She was particularly fascinated by the atmospheric paintings of James Abbott McNeill Whistler and became familiarized with the artistic trends in Paris, which made her reject the traditions of the  Munich School. She decided to go against the popular conventions concerning child portraits in which children were often depicted wearing elegant and fancy outfits in richly decorated interiors or with landscapes in the background. She introduced her own method of portraying children with neutral background and figures subjected to a thorough coloristic analysis. According to Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha the painting "creates the atmosphere of contemplation, sadness, mystery and understatement" which are reminiscent of the poems by Maurice Maeterlinck whom Boznańska held in high regard. In 1896, writing for the Gazette des Beaux-Arts William Ritter observed that "it is an enigmatic child who drives mad those who observe her for too long". A sense of innocence of the child, her calm posture and delicate facial features are contrasted with the painting's aura of anxiety and melancholy. The artist expressed the girl's mental state as well as the atmosphere of her surroundings in a subtle way, which reveals her keen interest in the new ideological trends in literature and art of the period.
William Ritter Munich School Maurice Maeterlinck Chrysanthemum Munich James Abbott McNeill Whistler