Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Alfred Stevens, Hesitation. Public domain.

The facts

Artist: Alfred Stevens originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/alfred-stevens/
Artist’s dates: 1823 – 1906
Movement: Academicism Highly polished, carefully finished realism taught by the official art schools of the 1800s.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Alfred Stevens died in 1906; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1976.

Hesitation — Alfred Stevens

When might this have been painted?

1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900

Shaded: the lifetime of Alfred Stevens (1823–1906)

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pleasant Letter, 1860 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-pleasant-letter-8Y3J7D-en/
Autumn Flowers, 1867 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-autumn-flowers-D3W8F3-en/
Visit to the Studio originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-visit-to-the-studio-8DNVL5-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Phthalo Green #1f190a

Catalogued palette

#1F190A
#532407
#2E4A4B
#BBA476

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Phthalo Green
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Hesitation — Alfred Stevens

The painting "Hesitation" by Alfred Stevens is a masterpiece of Academicism, showcasing the artist's skill in capturing the subtleties of human emotion. The composition of the painting is characterized by a sense of intimacy and quiet contemplation, drawing the viewer's attention to the central figure of the woman in a blue dress.

Composition and Style

The woman's dress is long and flowing, with a lace collar that adds elegance to the scene. Her pose suggests a sense of hesitation or uncertainty, as if she is contemplating her next move. The use of oil paint allows for a level of detail and texture that brings the scene to life. The style of the painting is reminiscent of other works by Alfred Stevens, such as Prête à sortir and Portrait of a Woman in Blue, which can be found on AllPaintingsStore.com.

Elements of the Scene

In addition to the main subject, there are several other figures in the painting, including one person on the left side of the frame and two others further back on the right side. A chair can be seen near the bottom left corner of the image, while a couch is located towards the top right corner. The inclusion of birds in the scene adds a sense of movement and energy, with one perched above the woman's head, another close to her shoulder, and the third bird situated further back on the right side of the painting.

The use of these elements creates a sense of depth and complexity, drawing the viewer's eye through the scene. The Musée Hébert in Paris, France, is home to a collection of artworks that showcase the Academicism style, including works by Ernest Hébert, which can be found on AllPaintingsStore.com.

The woman's dress is a key element of the composition, adding elegance and sophistication to the scene.

The use of birds in the painting creates a sense of movement and energy.

The Academicism style is characterized by a focus on realism and attention to detail.

Artist

Alfred Stevens

Born in Brussels, Belgium

early life and training

alfred émile léopold stevens, a renowned belgian painter, was born on may 11, 1823, in brussels. his family was deeply rooted in the visual arts, with his older brother joseph (1816–1892) and son léopold (1866–1935) being painters, while another brother arthur (1825–99) was an art dealer and critic.

artistic career

stevens began his artistic journey at the académie royale des beaux-arts in brussels, where he studied under the guidance of françois navez, a neo-classical painter. in 1843, he moved to paris, joining his brother joseph, and was admitted to the école des beaux-arts. although it is disputed whether he became a student of jean auguste dominique ingres, stevens' early work, such as the pardon or absolution (hermitage, st. petersburg), signed and dated 1849, showcases his mastery of conventional naturalistic style, influenced by 17th-century dutch genre painting.

rise to prominence

stevens' work was first publicly exhibited in 1851 at the brussels salon, earning him a third-class medal at the paris salon in 1853 and a second-class medal at the universal exposition in paris in 1855. his painting ce qu'on appelle le vagabondage (musée d'orsay, paris) caught the attention of napoleon iii, leading to a significant change in the treatment of the poor.

notable works and legacy

la dame en rose or woman in pink (musées royaux des beaux-arts de belgique, brussels), painted in 1866, exemplifies stevens' work during this period, combining a fashionably dressed woman with a detailed examination of japanese objects.

stevens received the legion of honor (chevalier) from the french government in 1863 and was promoted to officer of the legion of honor in 1867.

view more works by alfred stevens on AllPaintingsStore.com:

alfred stevens | 122 artworks

the french academic art movement

explore more on AllPaintingsStore.com:

rodolfo amoedo | brazilian painter, designer, and decorator

alfred stevens: moonlit seascape (46 x 37 cm, academicism, oil)

Where to read more

The artist Alfred Stevens originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/alfred-stevens/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Hesitation

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Stevens, Alfred. Hesitation. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/
APA: Stevens, Alfred (n.d.). Hesitation [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/
Chicago: Alfred Stevens. Hesitation. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/
Harvard: Stevens, Alfred (n.d.) Hesitation. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/alfred-stevens-hesitation-8DNVHL-en/

Hesitation — Alfred Stevens

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: women. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at Pleasant Letter (1860), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Academicism: Highly polished, carefully finished realism taught by the official art schools of the 1800s. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.