Yves Decaudan - Pensées nocturnes

Portrait painting "Pensées nocturnes" - 2026
This painting is a textured profile portrait, depicting the bust and face of a woman with closed eyes. The subject stands out against a background of a deep and vibrant ultramarine blue, worked with visible brushstrokes that add substance. The woman sports a short haircut with dark hair, with a gray or silver strand that emphasizes the movement of her hairstyle. Her lips are painted a vivid, bright red, creating a striking contrast with the rest of the composition. The face and the long elegant neck are built with flat areas of warm colors, outlined by thick, bold black contours. At the bottom right, the artist's signature appears in white.
The work sits within a modern current close to Fauvism and Pop Art, characterized by the use of dark outlines and blocks of contrasting colors. The minimalism of the lines highlights the model's expression without cluttering with superfluous realistic details.
The chromatic choice rests on a tension between the nocturnal coolness of the blue background and the warmth of the textured skin, energized by the pure gleam of the lipstick. This opposition gives the painting its full visual strength.
The tight framing on the slender long neck emphasizes the grace and vulnerability of the character. The light seems to emanate from the right, illuminating the woman's face while the back of her head and nape softly blend into the shadow of the blue background.
The title evokes introspection, calm, and reverie. The model's attitude, head slightly tilted upward and eyes closed, reinforces this impression of serenity, detachment, or gentle melancholy, isolated from the outside world by the vast blue surrounding her.
Portrait by Breton painter Yves Decaudan - 1954
Canvases exhibited at the Paris Autumn Salon in 2022
Delivered with certificate of authenticity
Acrylic on cotton canvas, wooden frame, unframed, dimensions 80 x 60 cm
Packaging and dispatch in a board-frame carton