Parisian Model in a Dressing Gown (Parisian Model in Robe)

Edelfelt's Parisian Model in a Dressing Gown is an intimate studio subject painted in 1885, depicting a professional model in informal studio dress — the dressing gown worn between poses that was a standard studio subject throughout the nineteenth century. The painting is both a technical exercise in rendering fabric and interior light and a record of the Parisian studio culture in which Edelfelt worked during his years in France. Such informal studio subjects became increasingly common as Impressionism expanded the range of acceptable subject matter.

Edelfelt renders the dressing gown's flowing fabric with careful attention to its textures and the way it catches and absorbs light. The interior setting is handled with atmospheric looseness, and the model's casual pose contrasts with the formal arrangement of his commissioned portraits.