Twee Spaanse vrouwen met gitaar en een papegaai 1893 - 1916

Alexandre Lunois made this work of two Spanish women with a guitar and parrot using lithography. I like how the grey tonality creates a sense of intimacy, almost as if the scene is captured through a soft filter, muting the colours, and drawing us into their private moment. The texture is created through a series of delicate marks, and the softness of the lithographic crayon, lending a smoky, dreamlike quality. The strokes are visible in the folds of their dresses, creating a sense of movement. Lunois expertly uses light and shadow to create depth and volume. The way the light falls on the woman's faces creates a focal point, while the background is rendered in softer tones, suggesting space and distance. The parrot itself is barely visible, a ghostly, atmospheric presence. This reminds me of the work of Vuillard, another artist who found beauty in the everyday and the intimate, and who worked a lot in lithography.