Cloth and Contour

This week I have been drawn back to explore again the ways in which painters in the past have used fabric. I’m especially appreciating the work of Artemisia Gentileschi, born in Rome in 1593. Here are four of her paintings that I have found particularly powerful, and which lend themselves to the kind of tight cropping I love.

‘Mary Magdalene as Melancholy’ by Artemisia Gentileschi (detail), painted in the 1620s, found at Museo Soumaya in Mexico City. The depiction of fabric and hands are inspirational.

‘Mary Magdalene’ (detail) by Artemisia Gentileschi, 1616 – 1617 found at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

‘Corisca and the Satyr’ (detail) by Artemisia Gentileschi, 1635-7, in a private collection in Italy.

Here are some recent works I have been doing as I continue to explore the movement of fabric and the figure.

‘Cloud Trousers’ Painted in October 2023. Exciting brush movements describe fabric folds and sculp the shoes. Drips of paint demonstrate it’s physicality, crossing the ribs of the socks and shoes. 40cm wide, 48cm high x 1.2cm deep. £544. Contact me for further details.

‘Green Twist’ painted in October 2023 using the artist Ruaidhri Ryan as photographic model.

Energetic brush strokes find equivalence for the movement of fabric caused by the twist of the body. 48cm wide, 40cm high x 1.2cm deep. £544. Contact me for further details.

‘Faded Skirt’ painted in October 2023. Fabric folds in a translucent, floral patterned skirt, modelled using one of my favourite, femenine poses, the cross. 40cm wide, 48cm high x 1.2cm deep. £544. Contact me for further details.

‘Turquoise Stretch’ painted in January 2023 using the artist Ruaidhri Ryan as photographic model. Energetic brush strokes find equivalence for the soft movement of fabric, aided by the strong, geometric gesture. 35.5cm wide x 42cm high x .8cm deep. £439. Available here.

There are lots of new works in the pipeline which I will blog about soon.