Title: Reading a book (also known as La Liseuse) Artist: James Tissot Date: c. 1877–1878 Technique: Oil on canvas Location: Private collection
This painting depicts a young woman seated by a window, absorbed in reading a small red book. She wears a voluminous white dress and an elaborate bonnet adorned with a bold black ribbon. Tissot’s refined handling of fabric, light, and texture highlights his fascination with contemporary fashion and feminine elegance.
The scene conveys quiet intimacy and intellectual solitude. The vivid red of the book contrasts with the pale costume, subtly emphasizing the act of reading as a moment of private reflection. As in many of Tissot’s works, modern femininity is presented as poised, cultivated, and self-contained.
