Portrait of Maria Lani by Robert Delaunay

This fascinating portrait from the cubist and modern period, titled “Portrait of Maria Lani”, wonderfully illustrates the formal research of the artist Robert Delaunay. By simplifying the lines of the face, the painter proposes an original geometric vision of the human figure. This work testifies to the transition towards a plastic synthesis where color and form unite to express the deep personality of the model.

The bust portrait shows a woman with a dark and penetrating gaze, whose face is divided by green shadows and rosy lights. Her short hair presents a bold two-tone separation, with one half grayish blue and the other deep black. She wears a plum-colored sleeveless vest over a stiff white collar adorned with a bright turquoise blue tie. In the background, geometric shapes of ocher, beige, and olive green outline a staircase structure on the left of the canvas. The cold light illuminates the right side of the face, accentuating the simplified volumes.

The painter demonstrates here a rigorous technique in the application of oil paint in subtly nuanced geometric flat areas. His mastery of colored transitions and his management of colored shadows reveal first-rate craftsmanship, managing to give a great psychological presence to this modern silhouette.