Masterpiece of the month

Pavonia (1858-59)
Lord Frederick Leighton (1830-1869). Oil on canvas. 53 x 41,5 cm. Private Collection.

  A beautiful woman turns to the viewer with an elegant twist of the neck as she holds a large, peacock fan; its feathers enveloping her almost like a halo... But she certainly isn't a saint, nor a courtesan - there are just not enough elements for us to deduce her identity. The chair she is sitting on is rather non-descript and the window ( or painting?) behind her doesn't offer much of a view. Probably the only thing we can be certain of is of her Mediterranean origin (glossy, raven hair; long nose; prominent cheekbones...); in fact, the model was Italian and she was a favourite of Leighton.
However, it is this lack of information that let's us concentrate on the sitter. We feel compelled to meet her gaze, but her brown, almond eyes are lost in thought. She raises an eyebrow, as if in question, and a twitch of a smile may appear at any moment - but it doesn't. Is she interrogating us with her raised eyebrows? Is she seducing us with that hint of a nape and serpentine movements? This ambiguity is what creates the best portraits (think Mona Lisa), and thus, a timeless beauty such as this.

This painting very clearly expresses the ideals of Aesthiticism (the Victorian cultural movement that stated "Art for art's sake" and included Oscar Wilde among its founders): this work intends to tell no story, it is just a portrait of a woman. A mysteriously beautiful, elgantly irresistible one, though.