Nu Au Salon 2014

Patrick Pietropoli painted "Nu Au Salon" with oils on canvas. The painting depicts an interior which appears to be a salon. The artist uses a restrained palette and somewhat loose handling to portray an interior that seems to evoke the styles of pre-revolutionary France, a period of aristocratic privilege. But the room has a dilapidated, ghostly air; the curtains are ripped and hanging. We might ask ourselves what this imagery of lost grandeur is meant to convey. Is the image offering a meditation on the history of class and power? Is it a critique of contemporary society? Or is it simply a nostalgic vision? To answer these questions, we might research the artist’s background and other works, as well as the cultural and political context in which he paints. Close attention to those sources can help us reach a deeper understanding.