Métis à la Chemise blanche 

Andre Derain’s portrait, Métis à la Chemise blanche presents us with an intimate study, its power lying in the nuanced tension between form and identity. Notice how Derain uses ochre hues to envelop the subject. This warm ground allows the sitter’s white shirt to visually advance, drawing our eye immediately to the sitter's torso. The texture here is palpable; the thick, almost sculptural application of paint gives a weight to the fabric. It’s as if Derain is as interested in the materiality of paint as he is in portraying his subject. The subject's gaze, directed slightly off to the side, suggests an interiority, a space beyond the canvas. But Derain, through his formal choices, also seems to destabilize conventional portraiture. The sitter appears both present and distant, challenging our assumptions about representation and identity. Through Derain's treatment of paint and light, the portrait becomes a meditation on the very act of seeing.