The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum hosts the first solo exhibition of Ewa Juszkiewicz, a show that twists historical female portraits. The Polish artist introduces elements such as fabrics, flowers, and fruits that hide or distort faces, questioning traditional beauty ideals. The exhibition, open until September 6, brings together more than twenty works ranging from 2013 to the present, combining classical technique with a contemporary palette in direct dialogue with the museum's permanent collection.
The technical process behind pictorial distortion 🎨
Juszkiewicz employs a methodology that replicates 17th-century oil painting, with thin layers and varnishes that mimic the aging of Flemish masters. However, she introduces a disruption: the female face is replaced by an organic volume (a bud, a fruit) painted with vivid, saturated colors, generating an anachronistic contrast. This clash between the ancient technique and the contemporary motif creates a visual tension that forces the viewer to renegotiate their gaze on the portrait and the canon.
Flowers on the face: the makeup we didn't ask for 🌸
If you ever thought an 18th-century lady's portrait needed more vegetation, this is your exhibition. Juszkiewicz solves the question of what to do with the boring faces in museums: cover them with a bouquet or a giant peach. It's as if the artist decided that historical makeup wasn't enough and opted for a more botanical look. Sure, at least these ladies no longer have to worry about wrinkles.