Woman with Red Hair

Behold, a woman who is all neck. Well, not *all* neck, but the elegant, elongated feature is certainly hard to miss, a signature move of the artist. Painted around 1917, this portrait is less about capturing a photographic likeness and more about exploring an inner mood—in this case, one of serene melancholy and quiet grace. Her face, with its mask-like simplicity, borrows from the aesthetics of African sculpture, an influence that was shaking up the European art world at the time. The composition is deceptively simple: just a woman, a chair, and a nondescript green background that really makes her fiery red hair pop. Notice the contrast between those warm, orangey-red tones and the soft pinks of her skin. It’s a deliberate choice to draw you in. And then there are the eyes. Or rather, the lack thereof. Those blank, almond-shaped voids are another calling card of the artist. The going theory is that he left eyes empty until he felt he truly knew his sitter's soul. So, who was this woman? Frustratingly, we don’t know for sure. She appears in other paintings from the period, but her identity remains a mystery. She's an enigma, captured with a timeless, contemplative poise that feels both ancient and strikingly modern.