I have always held a special place in my heart for matched sets. There's nothing quite like finding a forgotten masterpice buried in a stack of paintings only to spy its mate in close proximity. The thing I really like about this set is that the two halves are complete opposites in terms of artistic style. The lovely "Señorita with Fan" has hardly a straight line to it, while "The Yellow Matador" is a study of angles. Even the colorful backgrounds reflect these themes. Contrast the fluffy, greenish glow which seems sponged onto the canvas at the left with the severe cross-hatched lines behind the bullfighter. An old roommate once speculated that these paintings were representational of culinary delights of a sort. Think of the "Matador" in the context of the crisp, golden crunch of a tortilla chip, and then envision the lovely lady's dress while imagining that a tasty bowl of bean dip sits in front of you. Of course it goes without saying that I told him he had completely lost his mind......

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Gallery I