Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Contemporary Realist artist Dalton Paula. It dates from 2020 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2020 by Brazilian painter Dalton Paula, this double‑canvas work combines oil, pencil, and gold leaf. The composition presents a single figure rendered in a contemporary realist manner, set against a uniform blue background. The piece belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and measures across two joined panels, forming a cohesive portrait.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a man wearing a light‑toned robe and a turban, his dark brown skin contrasted by sharply defined facial features, including pronounced eyebrows and a moustache. A small white label bearing the word “Angola” is affixed to his collar, hinting at themes of geographic identity and historical reference, though the work offers no explicit narrative beyond this visual cue.
Technique & Style
Paula employs thick applications of oil paint, especially on the figure’s flesh, creating a tactile surface that emphasizes volume.
Paula employs thick applications of oil paint, especially on the figure’s flesh, creating a tactile surface that emphasizes volume. Pencil lines delineate details, while gold leaf is applied to the face and hands, producing a luminous highlight that separates these areas from the surrounding robe. The overall effect recalls the chiaroscuro tradition, using light and shadow to model form within a realist framework.
History & Provenance
The artwork was completed in 2020 and subsequently entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s interest in contemporary Brazilian art and in works that engage with Afro‑Brazilian cultural narratives.
Context
Paula’s practice often references Afro‑Brazilian visual traditions, particularly the hand‑painted photographic portraits known as retratos pintados that were common in rural Brazil. By dressing a modern subject in historically resonant clothing and incorporating a geographic tag, the painting situates contemporary identity within a lineage of cultural memory and visual documentation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Dalton Paula (born 1982) is a Brazilian artist. Paula's work draws on Afro-Brazilian traditions, and features portraits of contemporary subjects dressed in a historical style. Andrea K. Scott, writing for The New…
