"Masked Woman #2", Oval Portrait on Oil in a Gold Frame by Palmer Schoppe

In Masked Woman (1991), Palmer Schoppe presents a figure who is at once distant and magnetic — a woman shrouded in mystery, yet rendered with striking intimacy. This oval portrait, rich with historical resonance, evokes the world of masked balls, courtly intrigue, and the dualities of identity that defined both 18th-century society and late 20th-century artistic exploration.

The subject’s powdered skin and calm gaze contrast with the boldness of her dark eye mask — a theatrical touch that both conceals and commands attention. Her coiffed golden hair, adorned with pearls and a lavish blue silk ribbon, hints at rococo extravagance, while her simple strand of pearls and bare shoulder add a layer of delicate sensuality. She is less a specific woman than an archetype: elegance personified, poised between performance and privacy.

Palmer Schoppe (1912–2001) was an American illustrator and painter whose career spanned much of the 20th century. While initially known for commercial art and magazine illustration, his later works took a deeply personal turn, exploring themes of beauty, memory, and timeless femininity. In the early 1990s, as figurative painting re-emerged in dialogue with postmodern pastiche, Schoppe returned to the classical portrait format with renewed emotion and stylized control.

Painted near the twilight of his career, Masked Woman is a testament to Schoppe’s lifelong mastery of detail, composition, and atmosphere. The painting sits at the intersection of historical romance and modern introspection — a celebration of costume, yes, but also of the deeper psychological layers behind appearances.

This piece offers collectors and viewers alike not just a portrait, but a window into performance, identity, and feminine mystique. On this canvas, the past echoes in the present, framed in gold and guarded by a mask.

REFERENCE NUMBER: LU654316414632
PERIOD: 1990-1999
CONDITION: Good
MEASUREMENTS: Height: 22.5" Width: 16.5" Depth: 1.5"
COUNT: 1
MATERIAL: Oil
CREATOR: Palmer Schoppe