Reclining Female 1961

Oronzo Vito Gasparo made this ‘Reclining Female’ painting in 1941, and the first thing I notice is the layering of colour; a process of building up tones that really pulls you into the image. There's a sort of dreamlike, fleshy quality to the way he renders the woman’s body. The paint is applied so smoothly, almost like skin itself. Look at the way she reclines on that patterned surface! Those dark blacks and gold yellows create a visual rhythm that's almost hypnotic. The lines defining her form are bold and confident, yet there’s a softness, especially around her face, that gives her a kind of serene vulnerability. Gasparo reminds me a little of Modigliani, in the way he simplifies the human form. But there’s a rawness here, an openness to the process, that feels distinct. What does it make *you* think of?