Woman of Mystery (Femme du Mystere)
Maker
André Derain
(French, 1880-1954)
Datecirca 1939 - 1950
MediumBronze sculpture affixed to L-shaped terrazzo base
DimensionsWithout base: 8 x 4 3/4 in. (20.3 x 12.1 cm)
With base: 10-5/8 x 5 in. (27 x 12.7 cm)
With base: 10-5/8 x 5 in. (27 x 12.7 cm)
Credit LineThe Joel Starrels, Jr. Memorial Collection
Copyright© 2002 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Object number1974.159
Status
Not on viewAndré Derain jotted in his notebooks:
On the face of all things
The celestial face and its phases
The terrestrial face and its seasons
The human face and its passions
Through the cold geometric features and the emotionally nuanced tilt of its mask-like head (as if she is listening, understanding, empathizing), Woman of Mystery represents an eternally universal essence, a gossamer thread that attaches this moment of immediate material certainty with a timeless transcendent unknown.
