Winold Reiss, 16 Sep 1886 - 29 Aug 1953 - Elise J. McDougald - 1924 - T-Shirt

A frontal, half-length portrait of Elise J. McDougald, drawn in pastel and crayon, sets the sitter squarely before the viewer with a steady, self-possessed gaze.

Visual Elements & Composition

The figure fills a vertical rectangle, seen from the chest up with her head slightly inclined. Warm brown and russet tones model the face, while the eyes, brows and lips are defined by precise, soft strokes. Dark wavy hair, worn short, carries a streak of grey sweeping back from the temple. Her plain, pale scoop-necked blouse is outlined in fine dark line against the cream ground. The background is left as unworked paper, and the signature WINOLD REISS sits in the lower left corner. Nothing competes with the face.

Meaning & Symbolism

The restraint of the composition is deliberate. Winold Reiss, a German-born artist who settled in the United States and became known for his pastel and crayon portraits, made studies like this in the 1920s of Harlem figures. Those works presented their subjects as individuals of education and purpose rather than as types, and the plain garment, empty ground and direct gaze carry that intent. Elise J. McDougald was a writer and social scientist associated with the Harlem Renaissance, and the portrait is dated 1924 in the catalogue record.

Designed for the Tee Front

A portrait built on a frontal pose and a single steady look suits a chest-level print, where the face sits at the wearer's own eye line in conversation. The open, uncluttered ground lets the drawing read cleanly across the shirt, so the sitter's presence stays the focus as the garment moves.