This picture of a young woman with her hand on her breast gazing meditatively towards the light initially has an almost religious effect; the absence of obvious Christian symbols and a number of slight details such as the pierced earlobe remind us that she is “only” a model. A head-and-shoulders profile image of a young woman in a simple, diaphanous cap with a brim turned up at the ears, the work is an example of a light study. Artists produced such studies in order to learn how to create an impression of depth and roundness on a flat canvas by shading the face from light to dark.

The study dates from Kobilca’s time in Munich, where she was completing her training under Alois Erdtelt (1851–1911), who ran a private school of painting for women in the city. Part of the successful traditional circle of Wilhelm von Diez (1839–1907) and Franz von Lenbach (1836–1904), Erdtelt mainly taught his pupils the art of portrait painting, which proved to be Kobilca’s main source of income throughout her career.