Πορτρέτο γυναίκας

000018 Yannis Mitarakis, Portrait of a Woman, 1955, oil on canvas, 83.5 × 67.5 cm

Mitarakis engaged only occasionally with the genre of portraiture. Aside from portraits of friends and relatives, his primary interest lay in the female figure. Several compelling portraits date from around 1950. Portrait of a Woman (also published as Portrait of a Lady) is dated to 1955—although an earlier dating, to the mid or late 1940s, seems more plausible, especially when compared to Girl (000017), which the artist himself dated to 1950. The painting portrays a relatively mature woman. Her conventional posture (seated, hands gently resting on her thighs) and the neutral background (a simple brown curtain) suggest a commissioned portrait, executed in the secure environment of the studio. The strong draftsmanship is softened by the broad, textured brushwork and the expressive handling of colour, reminiscent of his Self-Portrait of 1937 (000109). In a similar spirit, the heavy colour palette is limited to warm browns and olive greens (seen in the woman’s jacket and skirt), with the white tones of the blouse acting as a point of contrast.