Artwork of the Week: August 18
In this painting, a woman named América gazes out to meet the viewer’s gaze, examining us as much as we examine her. Her poise—as seen in the confident upward tilt of her head and skeptical arch of her brow—conveys a striking self-possession.
The Puerto Rican artist Waldemar Morales Lugo compels a dynamic interaction between América and the viewer through the interplay of bold colors, gestural brushstrokes, and light and shadow. Surrounded by shades of delicate green, rich brown, and glowing orange, América appears within an ambiguous setting that helps emphasize her stark features and opulent dress. The brushstrokes within this work initially call our attention to América’s bright white headband before leading us to the contours of her face, sculpted by shadows and subtle highlights. Decorative embellishments draw our attention to her bold orange caftan, before pulling us back to her face.
Lugo painted América, a Cuban-Spanish woman in Madrid, while attending the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. This painting is a portrait of a specific woman, a model at the academy, but could also be seen as an allegorical “Portrait of América”—a representation that exemplifies the complexity of nationality and identity in this time period.
This work is currently on display in the exhibition The Sense of Beauty.
