Rose Colored 2020

Martine Johanna painted this portrait in the twenty-first century. The rosy colored light casts the figure in a dreamlike state that invokes a sense of heightened emotion. Consider the way the light emanates from above, reminiscent of Renaissance depictions of divine figures. But instead of a saintly glow, here, the rose-colored light casts a more complex aura, suggesting both vulnerability and strength. The circular motif that frames the subject's neck, appears as a symbol of enclosure, yet it simultaneously suggests a portal or a threshold. We see how the use of light and circular forms in the composition can also suggest the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. Such symbols are never truly new; rather, they are echoes of our collective past. As we look, we can see how motifs resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.