“Study of Lilia”
“Study of Lilia” is an oil on canvas painting by the French Academic artist, Carolus-Duran, from 1887. Duran is mostly remembered as a portrait painter for members of the French high society. He was greatly influenced by Diego Velázquez and the school of Spanish realism, which can be seen in his work.
This study and its unusual perspective are quite striking. The saturation of red in the sitter’s clothes and in the background lends a milky quality to the nape of her neck. Two years later in 1889, he painted the final version, “Lilia”, which depicts a seated nude woman, as seen from the back. Her red hair is also swept up revealing the side of her face, neck, and back.
In 1873, Duran opened up his own school of art. Perhaps his most well-known student was John Singer Sargent. As a teacher, Duran taught his students to pose their models in full light to eliminate any shadow. He advocated using a strongly colored background and discouraged using brushes deemed as too small. All these pointers Duran gave to his students can be seen in this painting.
“Study of Lilia” is currently in the collections of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, in the United States.
For more on Carolus-Duran please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
