Portrait of Madame Jules Ricard, née Augustine Bulteau

Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff was a Belgian symbolist painter and one of the founding members of the avant-garde group Les XX in 1883. He was a leading figure in the Symbolist movement, and achieved international recognition for his enigmatic paintings that explored themes of isolation, desire, and the duality of woman as both femme fatale and angelic ideal. His sister Marguerite was a frequent subject, appearing in numerous portraits throughout his career.