Oil on canvas, 10″x8″
This is a portrait of Renée Perle, inspired by a black and white photo taken by Jacques-Henri Lartigue in 1930. She was an early muse of his and possibly something of an obsession during their two year affair. Renée Perle was a model for the couturier Doeuillet at the time of their meeting, remarkable for her exotic beauty and avant-garde style which looks fresh even today. I wanted to give bold color to that sun-soaked, carefree era in the Riviera and capture something of this lovely woman’s unique charm so I portrayed her deeply tanned in white and linen against a teal-tinged wall of Mediterranean Blue.
Prints of this painting are available here
pat kelley art 