Girl in Red 

Adalbert Erdeli's oil painting presents a girl adorned in a striking red dress. Red, the hue of passion and vitality, has coursed through art history from the robes of Byzantine emperors to Renaissance depictions of the Madonna. Think of Titian’s use of red in his portraits, a signifier of power and status, or even further back to ancient Roman frescoes, where red symbolized life's energy. Here, the red dress envelops the girl, yet it does not define her entirely, it accentuates the tenderness of youth, and an emotional tension is created by the contrast with the calm blue tones in the background. The motif of youthful innocence cloaked in red is not new, and we see its traces echo through centuries. What subconscious chords does this color strike within us? A collective memory perhaps, resonating with primal emotions, and resurfacing in our art.