The artwork titled “Portrait of V. Nubiola” by Joan Miro, dated 1917, exemplifies a synthesis of Cubist and Fauvist styles. This oil on canvas piece measures 104 by 113 centimeters and is showcased as a portrait genre in the Folkwang Museum, located in Essen, Germany.
The artwork depicts a seated figure, presumably V. Nubiola, engaged in a contemplative pose with their hand holding a pipe that rests near the mouth, a common motif in traditional portraiture that suggests thoughtfulness or introspection. The figure is clad in a patterned jacket with bold, dynamic colors that echo the Fauvist movement’s interest in vibrant and expressive hues. The background and elements surrounding the figure are depicted with angular, geometric forms indicative of Cubist influence, emphasizing the fragmentation and reconstitution of reality in the flat pictorial space. Color and form collide and overlap in a dynamic arrangement, creating a sense of depth and complexity.
There is a prominent element of a globe-like object beside the figure, which further enhances the sense of this being a composed, almost staged, representation of the individual. The execution of the painting suggests attempts to capture the essence of the subject through the lens of early 20th-century avant-garde art movements, transcending mere physical likeness to explore broader psychological and conceptual dimensions.
