Young Woman with a Mandolin, Portrait of Louison Köhlerc. 1873–1874 · Study 1977.124

Context from the museum

Bonvin was fascinated by the realism of 17th-century Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish still life paintings. He was also aware of the French Realist movement, a highly candid, straightforward style with political overtones. This work embodies both the realism for which Bonvin was famous and the still life paintings of earlier periods. The woman in the painting is Louison Köhler (1850–?), the artist's mistress. After two failed marriages, Bonvin met her in 1870, and she remained with him until his death, appearing in several of his paintings. The image of the reclining woman hanging directly over Louison's head probably suggests the carnal nature of their relationship. Bonvin borrowed this image—a swooning, overjoyed female—from the famous painting Bacchanal by Titian (1485–1576), now in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Young Woman with a Mandolin, Portrait of Louison Köhler is 46 cm wide and 54.9 cm high, equivalent to approximately 18.1 × 21.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.84:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.25 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 15.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 127.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Young Woman with a Mandolin, Portrait of Louison Köhler in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 46 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?