Dos mujeres 1971

Enrique Grau painted Dos mujeres, sometime around 1971, and you can see he was really enjoying himself! The tones are dark but there’s a luminosity in the treatment of the two women. Well, one woman and one mannequin, I suppose. There’s so much to unpack here, it’s all in the details: the fur trim on the coat, the jewelry, the bright pop of flowers on the hat and the single little bird perched on the mannequin's shoulder. See how the textures are thick and creamy? The surface of the painting is alive with brushstrokes that are both deliberate and playful. The artist has created this very particular mood with his application of paint. Look at the way the red of the bitten apple contrasts with the soft glow of the mannequin's chest. It reminds me a little of the surreal juxtapositions of someone like De Chirico, where objects exist in a dreamlike state. Ultimately, it’s this ambiguity that really draws me in.