Mädchenbrustbild

Franz Defregger's 'Mädchenbrustbild' (Girl's Bust Portrait, 1885) is a characteristic bust-length portrait of a young female subject — the format focusing all attention on the face and immediately surrounding details of collar or costume. Defregger's many bust portraits of young women demonstrate his sustained interest in the female face as a subject for observation — the specific character of each face within the general category of youthful femininity giving his portrait-genre work its variety and appeal. The bust format's intimacy and directness were among his most effective registers.

Defregger renders the bust portrait with his characteristic warm naturalism — the face close and immediate within the format, the specific features and expression observed with care. His light handling creates the fresh, clear illumination that characterizes his best female portrait work. The simplicity of the bust format places all formal emphasis on the quality of observation and execution.