Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Model Study 2

Elina Brotherus, 2008

Name Class Date
Elina Brotherus, Model Study 2 (2008). Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Elina Brotherus wahooart.com/en/artists/elina-brotherus/
Artist’s dates
1972 –
Painted
2008
Movement
Contemporary

Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. Elina Brotherus was born in 1972 and has no recorded death date; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Oct. 9, 2026

Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus

When was this painted?

  1. 1970
  2. 1980
  3. 1990
  4. 2000
  5. 2010

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span, counting 0 from birth.

Painted when the artist was 36. 1 of the 93 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

▲ this work, 2008 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 2015 Main working years: 2015–2017 Late works: from 2017

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Gray #827776

    Catalogued palette

    • #827776
    • #231912
    • #6B5536
    • #DDC1A9

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Gray
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Elina Brotherus over the last twelve months — 4 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 78.9%1,500 visits
    2. 2 Spain 10.5%200 visits
    3. 3 Estonia 5.3%100 visits
    4. 4 United States of America 5.3%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Elina Brotherus

    1. 1 Ball in the Middle of the Frame, 2016 8.7%200 visits
    2. 2 Tombeau Imaginaire 12, 2019 8.7%200 visits
    3. 3 Model Study 8, 2008 8.7%200 visits
    4. 4 Measuring Wind Speed, 2016 8.7%200 visits
    5. 5 Winter, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    6. 6 Moon, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    7. 7 Model Study 3, 2008 4.3%100 visits
    8. 8 Class Photo, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    9. 9 Model Study 7, 2008 4.3%100 visits
    10. 10 Measuring the Water Level in the Sea (Full Moon), 2016 4.3%100 visits
    11. 11 A New Sense of Order, 2016 4.3%100 visits
    12. 12 L'Avant Garde Se Rend Pas, 2016 4.3%100 visits
    13. 13 Model Study 5, 2008 4.3%100 visits
    14. 14 Tombeau Imaginaire 1, 2019 4.3%100 visits
    15. 15 Bedsheet, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    16. 16 Tombeau Imaginaire 17, 2019 4.3%100 visits
    17. 17 My Dog Is Cuter Than Your Ugly Baby, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    18. 18 Flowers, 2015 4.3%100 visits
    19. 19 Disguise Yourself as Another Object (Wallpaper), 2016 4.3%100 visits
    20. — Model Study 2, 2008 this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 99.3% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 93 works by this artist, of which 19 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Oct. 9, 2026

    Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Elina Brotherus

    Born in Helsinki, Finland

    The Introspective Lens of Elina Brotherus

    Elina Brotherus stands as a profound voice in contemporary photography and video art, known for a practice that masterfully weaves together the personal with the art-historical. Born in Helsinki, Finland, her artistic journey is marked by a unique dual foundation, holding a Master of Science in analytical chemistry from the University of Helsinki alongside a Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Art and Design Helsinki. This rare intersection of scientific precision and creative intuition informs her meticulous approach to capturing the world. Her work often functions as a contemplative dialogue between the self and the environment, utilizing self-portraiture to explore the delicate boundaries between interior psychological spaces and the expansive, often ethereal, landscapes that surround us.

    The essence of Brotherus’s oeuvre lies in its ability to blend realism with a dreamlike, almost otherworldly quality. She is particularly celebrated for her commitment to unedited photography, eschewing the artificiality of digital manipulation in favor of natural light and authentic representation. In works such as At Least One Egg (Avallon), she creates scenes where the human figure becomes part of a larger, organic tapestry, such as an encounter with wisteria blossoms that feels both grounded in reality and suspended in a moment of pure introspection. Her compositions often utilize soft, diffused light to evoke feelings of vulnerability, solitude, and a deep-seated connection to nature.

    Artistic Evolution and Global Presence

    As a prominent member of the Helsinki School, Brotherus has expanded her visual vocabulary through engagement with various artistic legacies. In her exhibition The Avantgarde doesn’t give up, she demonstrated a remarkable ability to reinterpret the instructions of avant-garde and neo-avant-garde movements, transforming performance scripts and Fluxus works into contemporary photographic narratives. This process of recontextualization allows her to honor historical artistic spirits while reshaping them through her own lens of personal identity and landscape.

    Her career is marked by significant international recognition and presence in the world's most prestigious cultural institutions. Her work has been showcased in solo exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, The National Art Center in Tokyo, Kunst Haus Wien in Vienna, and the Weserburg Museum für Moderne Kunst in Bremen. The enduring impact of her vision is further evidenced by the inclusion of her pieces in major permanent collections, including:

    Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk

    MAXXI in Rome

    Moderna Museet in Stockholm

    Through her evocative imagery—ranging from the quiet vulnerability found in Model Study 18 to the raw intimacy of Eating with—Elina Brotherus continues to challenge the viewer to find beauty in the subtle nuances of existence, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary photographic art.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Model Study 2

    wahooart.com/en/art/download/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Brotherus, Elina. Model Study 2. 2008, https://wahooart.com/en/art/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/
    APA
    Brotherus, Elina (2008). Model Study 2 [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/
    Chicago
    Elina Brotherus. Model Study 2. 2008. https://wahooart.com/en/art/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/
    Harvard
    Brotherus, Elina (2008) Model Study 2. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/elina-brotherus-model-study-2-D5Z4WT-en/

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Oct. 9, 2026

    Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 1 — do you agree?)
    4. Look back at Winter (2015), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Elina Brotherus was about 36 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Oct. 9, 2026

    Model Study 2 — Elina Brotherus Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Who created "Model Study 2" and in what year?

    Elina Brotherus made "Model Study 2" in 2008.

    Which color stands out most in "Model Study 2"?

    The color that stands out most in "Model Study 2" is gray (#827776). The dominant color is useful when matching an artwork to an interior.

    What underlying hue runs through "Model Study 2" by Elina Brotherus?

    The dominant hue of "Model Study 2" by Elina Brotherus is golden yellow range. The hue is the underlying tone of the palette.