Oliver Plehn - Black Bile - XL

Black Bile 2026
Oliver Plehn
100cm x 81cm
Oil on canvas

Black Bile explores the face as a visible surface of an invisible inner world. The title refers to the ancient association of black bile with melancholy. In this portrait of Virginia Woolf, the face becomes more than a representation of identity: it becomes an embodiment of an emotional and psychological state. Through the restrained expression, pale skin and dark, penetrating eyes, I wanted to create a tension between what the face reveals and what it conceals. The work connects with Faces as a subject of identity, emotion, memory and experience, inviting the viewer to look beyond recognition and search for what lies beneath the surface.

The artwork is signed by the artist and will be shipped rolled in a cardboard tube. A certificate of authenticity is enclosed.