Portrait of Jonkvrouwe Maria Francisca Louisa Dommer van Poldersveldt
The Belgian painter Fernand Khnopff portrayed his aunt here. Seated in a slightly twisted pose, she looks dreamily away, her right hand gently touching the piano keys. Khnopff applied several layers of varnish to heighten the lustrous sheen of her skin. The piano is no longer being played: the woman is immersed in her thoughts. The artist found inspiration in dreams, music, and poetry.