Autoportrait à l’oiseau vert ou Femme à l’oiseau vert 1962

Evelyne Axell painted "Autoportrait à l’oiseau vert," or "Woman with a Green Bird," using vibrant acrylics. A striking symbol here is the bird, often seen across cultures as a representation of freedom, the soul, or a messenger between worlds. Consider how this motif echoes in ancient Greek art, where birds accompany deities, or in medieval Christian iconography, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Yet, its form shifts. In Axell's work, the bird is silhouetted in green, evoking flight and perhaps an untamed aspect of the self, set against a starkly modern, blue background. This mirrors our subconscious desires for liberation and expression, deeply rooted in human experience. It is not simply the bird itself, but what it represents, this longing for transcendence, which reverberates across time. This primal symbol is not static; it evolves, colored by the present, engaging our collective memory in an ongoing dialogue.