Focus on The Psyché (My Studio) and explain the Signature.
In the years between 1850 and 1870, Stevens was pre-eminently regarded as a painter of the Parisian establishment . He made a name for himself as the upper class' ladies painter and painted in a highly realistic style, deeply influenced by the Dutch fine painters and Old Masters, particularly Johannes Vermeer. However, his works are distinguished by his emphasis on the casual, transitory moment, anticipating Impressionism. On the other hand, the emerging Impressionism began to influence Stevens around 1870, which manifested itself in a looser brushwork. La Psyché is one of the first works by Stevens in which these two aspects coincide.
Impressionism Johannes Vermeer Vermeer Paris