In The Middle Of Summer 1928

Curator: Good morning! Today, we're looking at Tamara de Lempicka's “In the Middle of Summer,” painted in 1928. A stunning portrait rendered in oil. Editor: Wow. She really leans into that bold red lipstick. It's the first thing I noticed, juxtaposed against that creamy white hat. A summer daydream feel, but also very deliberate, almost... calculating? Curator: Yes, there’s that cool, detached quality characteristic of her Art Deco portraits. Lempicka’s sitters often appear self-possessed. The flowers – poppies, daisies, cornflowers – feel almost like a shield. Holding onto summer, perhaps. Poppies often symbolized sleep or oblivion too, no? Editor: They can. Also, passion, sacrifice… especially that vivid red. The whiteness surrounding her suggests purity, maybe innocence. Though, of course, Lempicka was far from innocent in her own life; that's partly what makes her art so alluring and even slightly scandalous. But these flowers are a nice, romantic counterpoint to the harder edges we often see. Curator: The geometry is toned down slightly, isn’t it? We're used to the sleek, almost metallic sheen. Here the romanticism feels a bit stronger; she appears softer, more vulnerable. What about the hat itself? Doesn’t it create a symbolic halo? Editor: Absolutely, and there's something quite old-fashioned about it, even as the rest of the piece sings of modernity. The hat and even the pose remind us that female beauty standards always cycle through history. That confident gaze… it knows. She understands that allure. Curator: And there's the mystery of what lies beneath that white dress! Those carefully positioned red poppies… perhaps shielding what should not be on full view. Editor: Precisely. A delightful mix of concealing and revealing. Lempicka invites us to interpret the imagery for ourselves. These floral elements add richness, suggesting both fragility and an assertive sense of feminine power. It leaves one lingering. Curator: Yes, lingering. It invites multiple perspectives that keep the piece ever so appealing.