Woman with a Green Glove 1928

Tamara de Lempicka made this painting, Woman with a Green Glove, with elegant lines and a muted palette of creams, greens and browns. I wonder what it was like for her to paint, in her studio. Did she start with a sketch, or did she go straight in with the paint, letting the image emerge bit by bit? I imagine the focus and intention of the artist, carefully applying each stroke, then stepping back to consider. She’s got that arm up there, bent at the elbow, gloved in green. It’s a curious gesture - protective, perhaps? The creaminess of the skin is striking against the cool green. The paint looks smooth, almost polished. It's not about thick globs of paint. Here, the focus is on form and line. You can see the influence of other painters but she is doing her own thing, with a distinctive modern style. Painters are always building on each other’s work and ideas, so it’s an ongoing conversation. These paintings are so great, with so many layers, and meanings.