Oliver Plehn - Salomé

Portrait of Salomé executed with charcoal and oil on a canvas measuring 55cm x 46cm in the year 2025. Signed with black lettering at the bottom left. Comes with a certificate of authenticity, in impeccable condition. The work is shipped rolled inside a tube.

This delicate and suggestive profile portrait captures Salomé, the iconic biblical figure who embodies seduction, mystery, and fatal feminine power. Inspired by the figure of the princess who, according to the Gospels (Mark 6:17-29), danced for Herod and requested, as a reward, the head of John the Baptist, the work evokes that duality between serene beauty and enigmatic depth.
With soft tones of grays and intense violets in the hair and scarf, the oil creates an intimate and contemplative atmosphere: the eyes closed, the serene expression, and the subtle gesture of the hand under the chin convey introspection, restrained sensuality, and a halo of melancholy. The realistic style with expressive touches highlights the warmth of the skin and the elegance of the profile, turning a personal portrait into an timeless archetype — reminiscent of interpretations by masters such as Gustave Moreau, Caravaggio, or Lucas Cranach, where Salomé is presented as a dangerous and fascinating muse.
A unique piece, rich in literary and emotional symbolism, perfect for collectors who appreciate contemporary portraiture with mythological and biblical references. A work of great poetic presence, ready to hang and with a strong visual impact.

MIRRORS OF BEING: PORTRAITS OF FRAGILITY AND STRENGTH
By Antonio Sánchez. Director and curator of 1819 Art Gallery
The collection we are dealing with is a compilation of works that explore the depth of the human condition through portraits and figures loaded with symbolism. These pieces weave together a visual narrative that unfolds a palette of subtle and often somber colors, evoking introspective and contemplative moods. Technical prowess reveals not only mastery of the medium but also an intense emotional connection between the artist and their subjects, each bearing a silent yet palpable story.
Textures and techniques range from softly diffused to aggressively marked, reflecting the diversity of human emotions and the complexity of our experiences. The strokes, whether firm or tremulous, along with the interplay of light and shadow, build an atmosphere that transcends the visual to touch the viewer’s soul.
The work oscillates between literal depiction and abstraction, allowing the viewer’s mind to fill the gaps, encouraging deeper engagement. The intentional use of discordant or unexpected elements, such as a knife piercing a figure’s face, challenges our perceptions and provokes introspective reflection on what it means to be human in times of emotional and social tumult.
The collection as a whole serves as a mirror of the fragility and strength inherent in the human spirit. Each piece, while remaining unique in its expression, contributes to a broader dialogue about resilience and vulnerability. The choice of subjects, from human figures to representations of animals, each imbued with deep emotivity, amplifies this dialogue, suggesting a universality in our emotional experiences.
This body of works, beyond simply showcasing technical skill, stands as a testament to the power of art to move, connect, and question. The collection not only captures the aesthetic beauty of its subjects but also acts as a catalyst for personal and collective exploration of deep and often contradictory emotions. In doing so, these works invite viewers to confront the unknown within themselves and in the world around them, offering space for recognition and catharsis.

Artist Biography – Oliver Plehn
The work of German painter and draftsman Oliver Plehn is characterized by expressive representations of the human and animal body. Faces and bodies form the center of his artistic universe: powerful, sensitive, and rich in psychological depth. From childhood, images of German expressionists influenced him, whose emotional immediacy and formal freedom remain a reference in his artistic language to this day.
From a young age, Plehn chose to be an artist and to maintain his creative independence. In addition to studying painting and drawing at art schools, he studied natural sciences, which gave him professional independence and artistic freedom. In the early 1990s, a fellowship in the field of quantum mechanics brought him to Madrid.
Oliver Plehn lives with his wife and two daughters in the Madrid neighborhood of Carabanchel Alto.

Artist Statement
My work arises from the impulse to understand human existence in its deepest and most contradictory interior. Throughout my career, I have explored portraiture as a means to reveal not only what is visible but also what is hidden: repressed emotions, scars of the soul, gestures of silent resistance. I paint from fragility, from that liminal space where pain and beauty coexist without permission.
I am not interested in capturing perfect faces, but presence, the presence that speaks of what remains unsaid. I am drawn to silences, looks that carry stories, bodies that vibrate with lived experience. Each work is, to me, an attempt to dialogue with the unknown, that inner territory we often try to escape.
My goal as an artist is to create images that are not only observed but interrogate the viewer. I want them to act as mirrors in which one can find something of oneself, even in restlessness or discomfort. I work figuratively, yes, but I seek in it an openness to mystery, to doubt, to emotion that cannot be put into words.
I feel that art has the power to heal, to reveal, and to accompany. In this sense, my practice is also a form of care: for myself, and for all those who approach these images with an open heart.
Exhibitions
•
Online presence on Artsy
•
Online presence on Flecha.es
•
Online presence on 1819 Art Gallery
•
“Aqua versus Terra”, September 1–30, 2025, Madrid
•
“Madrid Hidden”, June 1 to July 15, 2025, Madrid
•
“The Gods of Muay Thai and a Strange One”, December 1, 2022 – January 6, 2023, Madrid
•
Exhibition at Yale School of Art, March 2021
•
Solo exhibition at Madrid-Barajas International Airport "Faces of the World", December 30, 2019 – February 7, 2020
•
Solo exhibition "The Passion of the Christ" at Friedenskirche, the German church, Calle Serrano 6, Madrid
•
Exhibition at United Artist Fair 2019 at Casa de Cantabria, Madrid, February 2019
•
Painting exhibition on Calle Serrano, Madrid, December 2018 – February 2019
•
Solo painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, November 2018
•
Painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, Calle Serrano, November 2016 – January 2017