I love this portrait, by the impressionist painter André Derain. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I like to think that it depicts his longtime partner Alice Derain, who was widely regarded as a woman of unusual beauty and intelligence.
Picasso even nicknamed her "La Vierge" (the Holy Virgin), in reference to her Madonna-like features, and both sculpted and painted her.
Picasso was quite the matchmaker, because he introduced Alice to Derain at to the so-called “Bateau-Lavoir circle”, a lively gathering of artists and bohemians (including harlequins and dancers) who lived in the Parisian district of Montmartre. The two promptly fell in love and were married shortly after.
But what I like most about this painting is the simple intimacy it conveys. We see Alice looking up for a moment from her reading and meeting the painter’s gaze. To me, this is the high-point of all romance. To just sit together and read books. What else could be better?
Julian
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Trying new form I see. Quite the shot