Coba Ritsema artwork • painting • previously for sale Girl with a red doll

For the Haarlem Impressionist and 'Amsterdam Joffer' Coba Ritsema, expression through a loose brushstroke and a harmonious color balance was the most important element in her work. She paid little attention to the posing of her models. She painted them at a moment when they seemed caught in the act, capturing what she saw in balanced fields of color and powerful brushstrokes. Such is the case with this portrait of a girl in a light blue dress and white apron. She appears to be taking a nap with her doll child in a red dress on her lap. Coba sees her and paints the intimate scene. Ritsema achieved great success with both her still lifes and her portraits in the early 19th century, both at home and abroad. But after an Honorary Exhibition in Haarlem in 1951, she seemed to be forgotten. Now she is back; 75 years after that last exhibition, she surprises us again, just as she did in her time. 'Coba Ritsema. An Eye for Colour', on display until 1 March 2026 at the Frans Hals Museum Haarlem.