Old blind woman

Paula Modersohn-Becker executed this Old Blind Woman around 1899 in pastel, depicting an elderly woman from the village of Worpswede with quiet dignity. The German title, "Alte blinde sitzende Frau," translates to Old Blind Seated Woman. Modersohn-Becker found her subjects among the "primitive" people living near the artists' colony, painting figures that challenged the ideals of her time.

This work was one of Modersohn-Becker's first significant paintings. It paved the way for realism in Finnish painting and demonstrated her commitment to portraying everyday people without idealization. She painted several similar subjects: the poor, the elderly, and mothers with children. Critics have called this approach "empathic realism" or "humanistic realism."

Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) was one of the first emancipated women painters in Germany. She studied in Paris, where this painting was exhibited by the Society of French Artists. She signed it twice, on the top left and bottom right, linking it to her Parisian period. Today, the work resides at the Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck in Remagen. The painting measures 73.5 x 47 cm.