Woman on a Sofa

The languid sensuality of the model in this painting suggests an intimacy absent from the artist’s other commissioned portraits. The garçonne haircut, fine nose, long eyelashes and overall demeanour indicate that this is a portrait of Jasmy (Léa Jacob), Kees van Dongen’s mistress at the time. The fashionable and ambitious sales director of the Parisian couture house Jenny proved to be the ideal ally for the artist eager to exploit his proven talents and make the most of her social connections and business savvy to advance his career as a sought-after society portraitist.