This is not simply a female bust, but an image with a deliberately defiant character. The young woman in a soft hat tilts her head slightly back, while the cigarette held at the corner of her mouth lends her appearance a provocative nonchalance. The uneven bronze surface enlivens the face and headdress, and the warm gleam of the metal stands out sharply against the massive green-marble pedestal. A small coloured enamel plaque depicting a rose is set into its front – an unexpectedly delicate detail contrasting with the almost grotesque expressiveness of the portrait. The French inscription “Qui s’y frotte s’y pique” – literally, “Whoever touches it gets pricked” – plays on the image of a thorny rose while also serving as a witty characterization of the heroine herself.

minimize...