Portrait of a woman with red hairs

Lenbach's 1877 portrait of a woman with red hair is characteristic of his approach to female portraiture — intimate in scale, psychologically direct, and indebted to the tonal sophistication of the Old Masters he had studied extensively in Italy. During the 1870s his reputation extended across Europe and he attracted sitters from the highest social circles. The warm auburn hair of the sitter would have been a compositional challenge Lenbach relished, requiring him to balance warm tones against his typically cooler, darker backgrounds.

The contrast between auburn hair and a deep neutral ground is the painting's central chromatic drama. Lenbach's glazing technique creates translucent warmth in the skin and hair tones, while the costume is handled more broadly, directing the eye toward the sitter's face and expression.