Parvaneh Etemadi (Iranian, b. 1947)

In the early 1970s, the Iranian painter Parvaneh Etemadi executed mainly still-life works, on a rough cement base. However, the present work Portrait of a Lady with an orange, dated 1971, depicts an elegant woman standing.

The artist uses very few lines and colours in her compositions and the subjects are pretexts which allow her to recreate her thoughts on the surface of the work. Although the scene appears familiar and common, Etemadi who is inspired by Japanese woodcuts, reveals a sense of loneliness and timelessness through a serene composition. There is something almost platonic about the object and the figure in the work, each of which seem to be rather an archetype or idea than reality itself.
Combining both the female figure and still life, the present work is a strong, unusual and rare example of Parvaneh Etemadi's works.