ABOUT THE WORK

Highlighting the contours of his subject — La Divina herself, Chona Recto Ysmael Kasten — with soft illumination, Soyer de la Fuente accentuates her loosely draped, transparent overdress, what with a personal style, combining sensitive draftsmanship with pale evocative washes of color that achieves a glowing luminosity. The portrait has a certain quietism, what with the subtlety of modulated harmonies. Soyer dela Fuente dispensed with the setting entirely, and treated the costume much more impressionistically. Eliminating unessential details, he gave life to the subject with the greatest technical economy, his vibrant brushwork merely suggesting the gossamer qualities of the subject’s dress rather than defining its details. The portrait exhibits a spirit of ease and tranquility, expressed by quality draftsmanship, demonstrating the artist’s talent for creating a warm, engaging likeness while resisting overt prettiness. With images like this, spotlighting the restrained fire and beauty of the subject, de la Fuente created the visual vocabulary that embodies the words "La Divina."