It was not until Karen Horney neared the end of her medical studies at the University of Berlin in 1911 that she discovered psychoanalysis, the specialty that would make her famous. First exposed to this new branch of her profession in a search for solutions to her own emotional problems, she joined the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute in 1920. There, taking issue with the male bias of Freudian theory-then the basis for most psychiatry-she began a quest for deeper understanding of female psychology. In doing so, she became an early pioneer in moving psychiatry beyond its original Freudian principles.

After coming to America in 1932, Horney pursued a career as a teacher, writer, and analyst and helped found the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. Today she is best remembered for her emphasis on sociocultural factors in neurosis and for the part her ideas had in promoting broader freedom for women.

This portrait of Horney was painted during the spring of 1952, the same year that she died. By presenting her in a lecturing stance, the picture recalls Horney's speaking skills and her impressive capacity for making complex concepts comprehensible to her audiences.