"Pastel Signed Laura Muntz 1909"
Pastel portrait by Laura Muntz (1860–1930), painted in 1909, depicting a woman with a frontal gaze, Edwardian hair style, and a pearl necklace. The face is treated with softness and realism, against a velvety background of muted tones. The artist, trained in Paris and influenced by Impressionism, pays particular attention here to the light of the complexion and the inner presence of the model. Her mastery of pastel reveals the full sensitivity of Laura Muntz, a key figure in Canadian art at the beginning of the 20th century.