Adriano Sousa Lopes portrayed this lady, whose identity is only known through the enigmatic initials “H.L.”, several times. This aquarelle reveals Mademoiselle H.L.’s slender and elegant figure, solitary and absorbed in thoughts, sitting at a table in what appears to be a café setting. In this it contrasts to four other works, also belonging to the CAM collection, which depict her in domestic environments (Mlle H.L. dans l’atelier de Souza, Mlle H.L. em fato de passeio, Mlle H.L., e Num salão, Mlle H.L. e sua irmã, all undated). From an artistic point of view, this picture stands out from the others due to its luminosity, unfinished condition and the uneven application of a translucent pigment in tones of grey, yellow and pink. Taking into account the freedom of the brushstrokes and the radical economy of form, surface and coloring, it certainly is a preparatory sketch on a subject which the painter could later transfer onto canvas. It is known that this female figure, whose condition as a young single woman was always respectfully emphasized and protected in her identity, was an inspiring and ever present model for the artist, who always depicted her formally and irreproachably in her 1900 style ensembles.

AFC

March 2011