“La Liseuse” (Rêverie) — Alfred Stevens | Art Postcard

An open red-bound book rests forgotten in her hands as her gaze drifts past the page — Alfred Stevens paints not the act of reading but the pause that interrupts it, the moment thought wanders further than the story allows. Loose auburn hair, a few small flowers, and a filmy white peignoir set the mood of private reverie.

A dark vase of pale hydrangeas on the table adds a note of quiet melancholy to the warm brown interior. Of the three Stevens portraits in this set, “La Liseuse” is the one where the sitter seems least aware she's being watched — worth sending to someone who reads for the same reason she does, to disappear for a while.

• Postcard, 10×15 cm
• 350 g/m² cardstock