Girl in White Blouse

2020 | Oil on panel (30 x 25)

This piece has been nominated for the Dutch Portrait Prize 2021.

For this personal piece, I aimed to create a portrait in its purest form, focusing solely on the face and the emotions behind it. I drew inspiration from the work of Jan Mankes (Meppel, 1889-1920), who alternated transparent layers with highly sharpened details. His colorful yet subdued paintings possess a dreamy quality but also a profound essence.

Many of my portraits feature people from my surroundings, including this portrait of Sophie, my neighbor. Her intricate, blue eyes and red hair exude a timeless beauty, but more importantly, she embodies authenticity. That's what draws me to her.

I had previously painted her for the diptych "Blue," but this time, I aimed to capture her in a purer form—a serene portrait where it's not entirely clear whether her gaze is inward or outward.

The smooth panel surface was perfect for building up transparent layers. Between these layers, I also sanded certain areas, making the layers even thinner and, in some places, causing the paint to vanish. The atmospheric result contrasts beautifully with the more detailed face, which was my focal point.