Femme à l'Ecritoire 1943

Oscar Dominguez painted this cubist oil painting of a woman writing, sometime in the mid-twentieth century, and the colours are so considered. Look at the way that he uses a limited palette of ochre, green and brown to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The brushstrokes in this piece are fairly smooth, not too thick, but visible in the planes that describe her form. The way Dominguez builds up the figure through these geometric shapes suggests a deep understanding of structure, but also a willingness to break it down. Take a look at her head. It’s fragmented into a series of planes and facets, and it’s easy to imagine Picasso doing something similar. But there’s something about the muted colours and the overall composition that feels very personal, very Dominguez. The sharp angles of the figure and the furniture really give this painting a dynamism, don’t you think? Dominguez was a contemporary of Salvador Dali, and whilst I can see elements of cubism here, I think it's also possible to detect the surrealist influence, where familiar forms are presented in a somewhat abstract and disorientating way.