My art history theme for the merry month of May is a color: Pink! It was my grandmother’s favorite color. For today, I offer you Portrait of Romana de la Salle, 1928, by Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980), oil on canvas, 45 ⅞ by 28 ¾ in. (116.5 by 73 cm.), photo: Sotheby’s New York, 14 November 2022. #arthistory #artdeco #lempicka #womenartists #womanartist

Excerpt from the catalogue note: “The slight tilt of Romana’s head and serpentine turn of her torso evoke the figuration of Botticelli and Raphael… while dramatic shadows employed throughout the present work allude to Lempicka's admiration of Mannerist painters. Romana’s body, anchoring the entire bottom of the picture plane and culminating with her delicate facial features at the top of the canvas, forms a triangular symmetry that mirrors the compositions of Neoclassical titans like David and Ingres… Accentuated by the ethereal draping of her pink dress, her voluminous forms defy containment by the canvas’ edges. As such, Lempicka confers the monumental power of a classical sculpture upon her wholly modern subject.”