F-HE17 Harry Ekman

The drawing presents a young woman in a pose suggestive of playful confidence and flirtation. She is seated on a wooden stool, one leg extended gracefully, while the other is bent at the knee, creating a dynamic diagonal line across the composition. Her upper body leans slightly forward, her arm raised to apply what appears to be lipstick from a compact mirror she holds in her hand. The expression on her face conveys a mixture of amusement and self-awareness; her lips are parted as if caught mid-laugh or playful utterance.
The setting seems to be a domestic space, possibly a dressing room or boudoir. A vanity table is visible to the right, upon which sits a perfume bottle, adding to the sense of feminine ritual and preparation. Behind the woman, a large piece of equipment – likely an audio recorder – is positioned against the wall, hinting at a profession involving performance or broadcasting. The background is rendered with minimal detail, focusing attention squarely on the figure.
The artist’s use of line work contributes significantly to the overall effect. Delicate hatching and cross-hatching define form and create tonal variation, lending a sense of softness and intimacy to the scene. The lines are fluid and expressive, capturing the womans posture and movement with considerable skill.
Subtly, the drawing engages with themes of femininity, performance, and perhaps even the burgeoning role of women in media during its likely period of creation. The combination of traditional feminine attributes – beauty, adornment – with a modern technological element suggests an exploration of evolving social roles and expectations. Theres a deliberate ambiguity; while the woman is presented as alluring, her gaze and posture also suggest agency and self-possession, moving beyond simple objectification. The drawing’s charm lies in its ability to simultaneously evoke nostalgia for a bygone era and offer a glimpse into the complexities of female identity within that context.