Treasured 

Curator: This is "Treasured," a lovely figurative painting by Adrian Gottlieb. The medium he’s working in is oil paint. Editor: Oh, my, what a gentle atmosphere! She has a sweet calmness about her. The palette seems so warm and restricted – brown umber hues everywhere, yet there is something about the subject's gaze that makes the work inviting. Curator: Gottlieb's academic realist style really shines through here. It’s a modern piece, but feels timeless in a way, hearkening back to old master portraiture. What symbols or hidden depths do you glean from her portrait? Editor: Immediately, the book is doing symbolic work – an attribute of knowledge and wisdom but it seems that the very gesture in which she’s cradling it, is equally relevant. Almost reminiscent of an icon of the Virgin holding the Christ Child. Here, instead of a baby, the 'treasure' is represented as literary and intellectual heritage. It represents a beautiful aspiration to inner life and reflection. Curator: That's a beautiful connection to iconic imagery! The book and the model feel deeply personal and cherished. But I also like how he leaves a kind of intentional ambiguity – that serene gaze. Editor: I agree – that quiet mood feels contemporary. Her direct gaze makes her the artist's and the viewer's equal. Curator: This is so much about interiority – hers, yours, and mine as viewers! Editor: Yes. Gottlieb’s painting speaks to our own human desires for meaning, love, and quietude. Thank you for pointing it out.