Mariano Fortuny Marsal Odalisque, 1861 Oil on cardboard 23 1/2 x 31 7/8 inches is a beautiful painting of a reclining nude. The detailed images below show more about the painters approach to this painting.
Some artists give equal attention to every figure in the painting they create. There is nothing wrong doing this however, the viewers eye will wonder from one figure to another to take in the entire painting. Sometime an artist will only lavish detail on one figure and handle other in a much looser, almost blurry style.
Artists often use souvenirs from their trips in the paintings they create as props. Fortuny does a bit of ying and yang in the painting by using a very dark background setting to push forward the light colored, reclining figure. In contrast he needed a brighter space so that is loosely painted musician would not get entirely lost if the background would have been equally dark.
I love how Mariano Fortuny has painted this water pipe. It is done simple, with just a few cleverly placed highlights that create the illusion of wood and glass.
The Odalisque is a painting by Marià Fortuny exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.
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