[Not titled] Woman Peeling Apple

Chen spent much of the 1930s in Paris where she studied at the Académie Colarossi and Académie Biloul. She travelled the region, seeking out landscapes and subjects as a means to develop and apply her own artistic vision. This portrait demonstrates Chen’s surety in portrait painting even as a young artist. Capturing an elderly woman in a naturalistic pose and setting, Chen’s attention to texture can be observed in the woman’s clothes and napkin. Although the woman is dressed mainly in dark tones, Chen succeeds in creating depth and interest through the careful modulation of shading and colour tones. The detail of the sitter’s expression is enhanced by Chen’s subtle use of greens, yellows, blues, and reds to paint her complexion.