The stylized realism seen in this portrait by Wolfgang Dieter Bauer is characteristic of the painter’s body of work. The piece is detailed and spatially layered with light, shadow, and...
The stylized realism seen in this portrait by Wolfgang Dieter Bauer is characteristic of the painter’s body of work. The piece is detailed and spatially layered with light, shadow, and colour variation, but there is also an element of two-dimensionality in the perspective. Dieter-Bauer comfortably presents the flat surface of the canvas as it is: flat. This piece is part of the artist’s series ‘Mystery.’ There is a sense of tension created between the viewer and the subject of the painting. The woman in the piece and her immediate surroundings are obscured by the plant in the foreground and her face is partially obscured by the sunglasses she wears. In the background, there is a high stone wall, anonymising the setting of this piece. The woman appears to be looking into an open box, but this too is hidden from the viewer. Thus, Dieter Bauer leaves much to the viewer’s imagination.