Basic Information

Historical Context

One of Zorn's most celebrated etchings, depicting a domestic servant caught in a moment of pause. Zorn treated working-class subjects with the same dignity and psychological depth as his portraits of aristocrats. Content Description A young woman in full-length view standing in an interior doorway. Light-colored blouse, dark skirt, hair neatly pulled back. Right hand holds a folded newspaper, left hand carries a feather duster. Behind her: paneled double doors, dark wooden coat rack with garments hanging. Date "1904" in plate lower left, pencil signature "Zorn" in margin. Artistic Analysis This etching represents Zorn's contribution to the New Etching movement. The doorway creates a natural "proscenium," the coat rack provides dark vertical mass. The maid's direct, unflinching gaze creates authentic immediacy. This work demonstrates how Zorn elevated etching from a reproductive medium to an independent art form.