Tina Blau (1845–1916)
Path in the Woods
Oil on panel
Panel: 23 ⅝ × 13 ½ in.
Frame: 31 × 21 in.
Though apparently unsigned, this atmospheric woodland scene exemplifies Tina Blau’s deep sensitivity to nature. Sunlight filters through a dense canopy of trees, leading the eye down a narrow path that disappears into the shadows. The subdued palette and painterly brushwork emphasize texture and light over narrative, immersing the viewer in the hushed solitude of the forest.
A pioneering Austrian landscape painter, Blau trained in Vienna and Munich, and was celebrated for her plein-air technique and innovative use of color and light. In 1877 she co-founded the Vienna Secession precursor Künstlerinnenverein (Women Artists’ Association), and in 1897 became a professor at the Vienna Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen, inspiring a generation of women artists. Despite challenges as a woman in the male-dominated art world, Blau achieved international acclaim and is today recognized as one of the foremost landscape painters of her era.
Provenance: Estate of Taussig, Riverside Drive, Manhattan.
