Starting with a pencil sketch (Self-Portrait, 1880-84), Schjerfbeck’s style develops through the pale palette of impressionism, the academic approach, and on through more monochrome pieces showing the influence of cubism, with sharper edges and a more graphic feel. We see her process of scraping back layers of paint and reapplying, like a Renaissance fresco, creating a weatherworn look, mirroring the ageing process and effects of time in her own technique (although this method is apparent from as early as 1904-05, even in portraits of young children, such as the angelic Head of a Girl Crocheting). Ultimately, we see her reduce her palette and mark-making to a simple interaction between darkness and light.