Profile 2000

Carlo Maria Mariani made this painting, Profile, with watercolour, but he’s not afraid to let the colours bleed and blend as if he’s discovering the form as he goes. The face is built up with translucent layers of blue, green, and rose, creating a delicate balance between classical form and painterly gesture. Look at the cheek; there's this subtle blush that suggests warmth, life, almost like a breath on the surface. The hair is a mass of swirling browns and creams, each stroke distinct yet merging into a unified whole. It reminds me of the way Cy Twombly would approach classical themes, with a sense of reverence mixed with irreverence, tradition seen through a contemporary eye. Art is a constant conversation, and Mariani adds his voice to it with this piece, reminding us that beauty can be found in the process of seeing, of making, of not quite knowing.