Wifredo Lam Doble desnudo II – mujeres recostadas (Double Nude II – Reclining Women) 1937

In 1936, Cuban modernist Wifredo Lam fought on the side of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. A year later, Lam was sent for fatigue to a convalescent home in Caldes de Montbuí, a small town north of Barcelona. The war jolted Lam out of the personal lethargy and depression that followed his wife and son’s death five years earlier. When he returned to Barcelona, Lam found solace in his artistic practice and inspiration in Matisse. This is evident in Doble Desnudo series, in the ornamentation and busy patterns in the background and swirly, sensual forms. Lam developed the female figure throughout his career in a range of styles from the flat, cubist-style figures of the 1940s to hybrid and amorphous iterations that fused the female figure with features of deities and mythological iconography from Afro-Cuban traditions in the work of the 60s and 70s.

Identification

Title

Doble desnudo II – mujeres recostadas (Double Nude II – Reclining Women)

Production Date

1937

Object Number

2012.59

Credit Line

Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami, gift of Jorge M. Pérez

https://www.pamm.org/en/artwork/2012.59

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Physical Qualities

Medium

Pastel and gouache on paper on canvas

Dimensions

39 1/2 x 48 5/8 inches

Visual Description

Doble desnudo II – mujeres recostadas by Wilfredo Lam is a painting from 1937. It is made of pastels and gouache on paper on canvas. It measures roughly three feet tall by four feet wide. It is hung in landscape orientation, meaning its longest side runs parallel to the ground. The painting depicts two nude women laying in front of a background of patterns. The two nude women that serve as the central focus of the composition are painted in an abstracted style with flowing lines and minimal detail. Their skin is painted pale brown with blue and red undertones. Starting from the top, the first woman is laying on her right side. She rests her head on what appears to be a small burgundy pillow. Her eyes are large and black with no white. Her nose and mouth have very little detail and give her face a similarity to a mask. Her shoulder-length hair is black and straight. Her left arm is bent upwards with her hand hidden behind her head. Her other hand rests on her right thigh. Her legs are resting on top of one another and her knees are bent toward the viewer. Her breasts appear as two discs that are painted with shades of violet and purple. Her stomach is round and rests on her forearm. Underneath her, the second woman is laying on her right side as well. However, she has her back turned to the viewer and is facing the other woman. Both of her arms are bent as her hands hold her head up. Her black hair reaches her lower back. Her right leg is bent and the bottom of her foot is facing the viewer. Her left leg which is resting on top of the other is outstretched toward the shoulder of the other woman. Underneath and behind the women there are various patterns painted in reds, blues, whites, browns, and purples that seem to resemble fabrics and pillows. The patterns range from stripes to chevrons and crosses.

Wifredo Lam