Lenaia 2019

Mary Jane Ansell painted "Lenaia" with oils, and what strikes me is how the classical composition is combined with a hyper realistic painting style. Ansell is playing with historical ideas of beauty and making something new. The painting has a dreamy, almost photographic feel. Ansell’s ability to render the subtleties of light and shadow, especially on the skin and in the folds of the white fabric, creates a strong sense of depth and volume. Look closely at the soft, diffused light around her face, how it gives her skin this unreal quality, and how her expression is so ambiguous. It’s as if she’s caught between worlds. Ansell’s work often references art history, echoing the styles and motifs of old masters while imbuing them with a contemporary sensibility. You could think of artists like Jenny Saville, who also challenges and reinterprets classical portraiture through a modern lens. Ansell uses a traditional art form to ask her own questions about beauty and identity. It's like she's saying, the conversation is still open!