An early 20th-century oil on wood depicting a lady wearing a stone-coloured dress with a decorative collar and vest.

It’s an unusual portrayal, particularly given the lady’s firm gaze and stoic expression. She looks directly towards us with eyes that could indicate a hidden depth or mystery.

The artist, Maurice Jean Lefebvre (1873-1954), often chose to paint strong female figures and always tried to communicate a heightened sense of the subject’s character.

Throughout his career, his style adapted to suit the current trends, but he generally retained a deeper level of expression. For example, during the 1910s, he dabbled with a movement known as Fauvism, where colours were exaggerated to bring further meaning to a subject. Whereas during the 1920s, he adopted a softer, more impressionistic, approach that could be compared to a late Renoir.

Lefebvre was born in Belgium in 1873 and his works are held in private and public collections within Europe and beyond.

The painting is housed within a beautiful reeded giltwood frame with a highly decorative floral inner border.

Signed and dated in the upper right.