Maria

1907–10
Not on view
This portrait entitled Maria, presumably after the model who sat for the picture, captures the direct gaze of the sitter. The painting was quickly rendered with a large brush and intense, unblended color. Van Dongen’s use of unblended color reflects his exposure to and general association with Fauvism and Expressionism, two artistic movements in Paris characterized by bold, sometimes violent use of color. Painted with a certain stylization, Van Dongen’s female sitters often resemble one another with their large, blackened eyes and pale white flesh tones.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Maria
  • Artist: Kees van Dongen (Dutch, Delfshaven, The Netherlands 1877–1968 Monte Carlo)
  • Date: 1907–10
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 25 1/2 × 21 3/8 in. (64.8 × 54.3 cm)
    Framed: 38 × 31 3/4 in. (96.5 × 80.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.230
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

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