PORTRAIT OF A LADY: Art by Jean-Pierre Cassigneul, Kim McCarty and Zoe Pawlak
Interior design by Tara Mangini and Percy Bright. Their photo.
"Portrait of a Lady" sounds so soigne, and indeed, hanging one confers a certain chicness to a room. Inspired by a lovely Instagram posted by Tara Mangini and Percy Bright (@jerseyicecreamco), who know the power of a fascinating female, I decided to share the work of 3 artists whose art focuses on the female form.
First up is artist Jean-Pierre Cassigneul. Cassigneul is the big gun--you find his work on offer at Christies and Sotheby's.
portrait of lady-cassigneul-sotheby's
It's easy to understand why, when you take a look at these paintings by him that I recently spotted.
" Regatta" Jean-Pierre Cassigneul 1976
'La Tarte aux Abricots" Jean-Pierre Cassigneul 1980
" Au Fil de l'eau" Jean-Pierre- Cassigneul 1975
Born in 1935, he had his first show at age 17. His elegant portrayals of women are heavily influenced by late 19th- early 20th century artists in a Post-Impressionist Group known as Les Nabis that included such artists as Bonnard and Vuillard. Cassigneul's vivid colors and portraiture also is influenced by Expressionist painter Kees van Dongen.
The art of Jean-Pierre Cassigneul is heavily influenced by these artists. Clockwise, Kees van Dongen, Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard.
Maybe the most surprising think about him is that he has no Wikipedia entry-shocking given how popular (and expensive) his paintings are.
Next, lets take a look at the beautiful paintings of Kim McCarty, who just completed her second solo exhibition at the Morgan Lehman Gallery.
Paintings by Kim McCarty
McCarty's large, ethereal canvases demand great physical effort. She places oversized pieces of paper on her studio floor and uses a "wet on wet" watercolor technique that requires a very rapid pace. When she lays down her first pigment, it can rest only a moment before another layer is applied, thereby allowing the colors to shift over the planes of the face.
Kim McCarty
Kim McCarty
McCarty says that an image is created or lost within seconds and that it can take her weeks to create a painting with the balance of realism and abstraction that she seeks.
A Kim McCarty hangs in the apartment of Padma Lakshmi
zoe-pawlak-woman
Last, but by no means least, are the portrait paintings of Zoe Pawlak. You might recall that I featured her collaboration with Jeff Martin where her landscapes decorate Martin's credenzas. I discovered her portraits at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) when one of them hung in the Pawlak/Martin booth.
Zoe Pawlak
Pawlak says of her recent portraiture that she is seeking to express vulnerability married with the body's ability to bear immeasurable weight. The women are in an undefined space but are surrounded by an aura signifying a sensual or spiritual presence. I am reminded of this painting by Cassigneul that also depicts an aura around the subject.
Jean-Pierre Cassigneul
A "down the rabbit" hole search of Pawlak's website unearthed a lovely interior featuring her work by my friend and fellow BlogTour London alumna, designer Nyla Free. A cohort who recognizes the power of a woman!
Painting by Zoe Pawlak, Interior design by Nyla Free, Photograph by Tracey Ayton Photography.
Would you include a "Portrait of a Lady" in your home?
Photo credits: Individual paintings by Cassigneul photographed by Lynn Byrne. Room shot with Cassigneul painting via Lonny.Cassigneul himself Kim McCarty gallery shot from her website. Single portraits by Kim McCarty.Padma Lakshmi from Architectural Digest.Blue painting by Zoe Pawlak Room shot with Pawlak painting.