Profiles of Contemporary Art and - ARTisSpectrum

Pilar Fernandez Duarte
Spanish artist Pilar Fernandez
Duarte brings her pen-on-canvas
portraits to life through a careful blend
of stylistic approaches, capturing
both the figurative beauty and the
expressiveness and strength of the
human face. Inspired by old masters
such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro
Botticelli, as well as the painters of the
French Impressionist movement, she
melds a rigorous technique and attention
to detail with a dedication to atmosphere
and light, resulting in images that are
simultaneously grounded and free. By
combining highly realistic representation
with a deep sense of space, Duarte
delivers unique works which are both
impressive for their technical aspects
and compelling for the subtle stories
they tell.
In Duarte’s portraits, lines are crisp, while
light and shadow bring definition to the
forms. Yet there is an underlying sense
of movement that lends each image a
life force all its own. Compositions are
both distinct and deliberate, bringing a
further dimension of expressiveness to
the work. Duarte’s breadth of subject
includes everything from famous persons
to historical figures to babies and young
children, and each boasts a wealth of
highly realistic detail eschewed by the
very human world of emotionality, so
that we see countenances that are quite
profound in their complex expression.
One of the hallmarks of Duarte’s work is
the way she portrays the eyes of each of
her subjects, lending a depth
to each figure that makes
the overall work come alive.
The eyes almost seem to
beckon the viewer closer, as if
somewhere embedded in the
canvas there are secrets to be
told. It is this sense of mystery
and allure that makes the
work so intriguing and keeps
us coming back for more.
Pilar Fernandez Duarte
currently lives and works
in Madrid, Spain, where
she owns and operates an
academy, allowing her the
freedom to cultivate her own
personal methodology and
approach to her art.
www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/
Pilar_Fernandez_Duarte.aspx
Braids Pen on Canvas 40” x 32”
James Dean Pen on Canvas 40” x 32” Pilar in her Studio
15 ARTisSpectrum