Pomone (Mlle Marguerite Grain) 1923

Jean Dupas painted ‘Pomone’ in 1923, and look at the way he's built up that face, almost like a statue emerging from the canvas. The cool palette gives everything a kind of crisp distance. There's something really striking about how Dupas handles texture here. The skin looks almost chalky, and that headpiece, with its solid blocks of colour and simplified forms, feels both modern and ancient at the same time. It’s like he's carving the painting out of stone rather than applying layers of delicate washes. And those little curls framing her face! Aren't they great? They're like solid, cylindrical forms. It's a fascinating mix of stylization and observation. Thinking about other artists, maybe someone like Tamara de Lempicka? There is a similar kind of Art Deco sensibility at play, a love of clean lines and strong geometric shapes. Ultimately this piece invites us to look, question, and engage with the ongoing dialogue that is art.