Jules Atarax (1985) - Smile

SMILE presents an enigmatic figure suspended between apparent innocence and inner unease. The frontal face, built from spontaneous gestures and strong chromatic contrasts, immediately imposes its presence on the gaze.

The circular eyes in vivid red, crossed by vertical drips, become the true emotional center of the work. They evoke both the intensity of the look and human fragility. The mouth, reduced to a simple and almost symbolic form, contrasts with the expressive charge of the rest of the composition.

The palette combines vibrant reds, deep greens, dense blacks, and bright areas that create a constant tension between attraction and malaise. This ambiguity is the heart of the work: the viewer is free to read it as a mask, a primitive figure, an emotional self-portrait, or a universal presence.

The gesture remains visible in its spontaneity. The drips, overlaps, and brush marks testify to an instinctive painting where the energy of the moment is imprinted in the material.

This work is part of a line close to contemporary expressionism and brut art, privileging direct emotion over academic representation.

This piece belongs to the latest canvases currently available by Jules Atarax, while the artist's recent works have already been acquired; this rare availability offers collectors a privileged opportunity to acquire an original work at a stage when the available production becomes extremely limited.

A rare opportunity before the complete disappearance of this series from the market.

Its works are part of private collections in the USA, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Italy.

We propose on Catawiki the last available pieces from this period 2019-2024.

Format: 50 x 50 cm

Technique: gestural painting on canvas oil and acrylic

Unique work