A woman carries the world in orange

by Henk Egbertzen

A woman with her eyes closed, a wreath of flowers in her hair. She is holding a globe in one hand and pointing upwards with the other. Behind her is an orange sun.

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She stands still. No movement, no hurry. As if she could remain like this for centuries. Her closed eyes do not make her seem absent, but present in a different way. As if she is looking inwards, not outwards.

- The globe is the same size as her hand. As if the Earth were a bowl she is holding. As if she could weigh it, carry it, protect it. That is the gesture of a mother, of a goddess, of someone who bears responsibility.

- Her other hand points upwards. One finger, straight up into the sky. As if she is saying: look there, that is where the answer lies. Or: I am connected to something higher. Two gestures in one body: carrying and pointing.

- The colours are warm. Beige, terracotta, orange. No cool blue, no harsh green. Everything exudes the same hue, from the dress to the flowers to the sun behind her head. - The style is painterly. The brushstrokes are visible; the texture of the canvas seems almost tangible. As if it were painted with oil paint, not pixels.

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This piece would look good in a hall, living room or meditation room. For those who enjoy portraits of women with a symbolic layer. For those who want something that you can keep interpreting.