Courbet suddenly catches his sister Juliette’s’s attention while she is submerged in a meditative state while reading. The representation may seem to be a bit clumsy because the angle adopted (a slightly inclined, very unconventional profile) which makes a harmonic depiction of the face considerably more difficult to achieve. (http://books0977.tumblr.com/post/151638658377/juliette-courbet-aged-ten-c1841-gustave) ...a very pure drawing from 1840 (Musée d’Orsay) combines the oval of the girl’s head inclined over an open book and the ellipse formed by her crossed arms. The portrait of Juliette at ten forms part of this continuity: Courbet looked for a somewhat unstable way of framing that would reveal surprise to some extent, as if by way of the painting he had suddenly caught his model’s attention while submerged in a meditative state (here, while reading). The representation may seem to be a bit clumsy because the... [http://www.bellasartes.gob.ar/en/the-collection-highlights/7727]