Irma Stern was born to wealthy German–Jewish immigrants and travelled frequently between Africa and Europe throughout her life. Stern’s Watussi Princess (1942) was painted while she was in Rwanda for the royal coronation. This portrait depicts Emma Bakayishonga, the sister of King Mutara III Rudahigwa. The princess is painted seated at a three-quarter angle; her eyes pensively look away from the viewer. A loose white cloth, almost touching either side of the frame, flows across her slanted shoulders, pronouncing her majestic stature. Diagonal lines are reiterated in Stern’s entire composition signalling an Expressionist delineation of form. The sitter’s black, oval-shaped coiffure points upwards away from her face. This long shape is echoed by a lyre-shaped headband that sits elegantly on her brow, elongating her features and accentuating her regal status. This portrait is a sharp departure from Stern’s colourful ethnographic portraits. The harmonious interplay of colour and character in this depiction bestows upon the princess a sense of depth and dimension, evoking reverence.
—Zamansele Nsele
