Jean Friedrich

JEAN FRIEDICH (France, 20th century).
“Rhona Hirschowitz, owner of The Pear Tree, Brookline,” 1962.
Oil on canvas mounted on board.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Provenance: Estate of Rhona Hirschowitz, Brookline, Massachusetts; private collection, Massachusetts.
Literature: Miles/Welz, The World of Jean Welz, Fernwood Press 1997, p. 100.
Measurements: 66 x 51 cm; 93.3 x 76.8 x 5 cm (frame).

A female portrait of great expressive intensity depicting Rhona Hirschowitz, owner of The Pear Tree. The body, leaning forward, brings the model’s presence closer to the viewer, while the dark, enveloping background accentuates the introspective nature of the composition.

The work is constructed with broad, textured brushstrokes, using a subdued palette of ochres, blacks, greens, and bluish tones. The face, rendered with greater attention to detail, concentrates the tension of the image, in contrast to the freer, sketch-like treatment of the clothing and surroundings. The result is a piece with a quiet, restrained atmosphere, where the female figure takes on a direct, almost suspended presence, somewhere between a portrait and an intimate scene.