On view in our Paris space, contemporary artist Stephen Appleby-Barr's latest painting for Robilant+Voena is a compelling, androgynous portrait. Posed at a table in a dark, intimate setting, the sitter is dramatically illuminated in a manner which recalls the distinctive chiaroscuro of Old Master painters such as Caravaggio. Many of the objects scattered before him would not look out of place in a traditional portrait, yet their deliberate, rhythmic positioning, and the inclusion of a scattering of pearls, turquoise jewels, and small white geometric objects are suggestive of a deeper meaning. The portrait is accompanied by a trio of atmospheric still lifes, giving an insight into the artist's dreamlike and otherworldly universe.
