Leading Woman

Art x Outfit Edit #36

Jean Hélion is an important figure of the French 1930s avant-garde. He was first an abstract painter close to and influenced by Piet Mondrian before focusing exclusively on figuration.

Along with Theo van Doesburg, he furthered the Art Concret movement, which grew out of De Stijl and Futurism and valued objectivity over symbolism and personal associations.

After being help in captivity in Germany during WWII, he completely moved away from abstraction and focused on the mundane. He painted large canvases with men at work, still lives or scenes of his surrounding life, often with bold colors.

He also painted unstructured nudes clearly inspired from cubist processes, and a few portraits of women with eery expressions. Tête Accoudée (Leaning Woman), from 1946, is one of those examples.

Masterfully balancing angles and curves, this portrait is Hélion’s version of the thinker. Hélion is presenting a woman in her thoughts, the subject of male gaze but seemingly owning up to her own agency. It reminds me of some more recent feminist paintings, empowering women rather than objectifying them.

For this Spring look, I got inspired by the bold lines and soft edges, as well as the powerful color palette infusing the painting. An outfit to take the lead!