The artwork titled “Portrait of Anna Maria,” created by Salvador Dali in 1925, is an oil on canvas exemplifying the Expressionism art movement. This portrait genre piece captures a likeness with emotional depth and stylistic distortions common to Expressionism.
The artwork shows a woman, presumably Anna Maria, the subject of the portrait, depicted in a three-quarter profile seated against a dark, ambiguous background. The hues are relatively subdued, with an emphasis on blues and purples, which could be reflective of the mood or character of the sitter. Her attire is simple and modest, and the lighting appears to originate from the left side, casting gentle highlights and shadows on her figure and bringing dimension to her form. Her expression is solemn and introspective, which, along with the color palette, may be intended to evoke certain emotional responses from the viewer. Despite the Expressionist label, the rendering of the figure and the attention to detail, including the treatment of her hands and the folds of her garment, have a realism that could be attributed to Dali’s diverse influences and his technical skill prior to his famous transition to Surrealism.
