Nude
signed and dated 2000 (lower right)
pastel on paper
22” x 29” (56 cm x 74 cm)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Makati City

MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF THE FEMALE FORM

The two figures are visually unified together in a tender, intimate, sense of equivalence in their reciprocity.

Erotically detailed, Bencab’s nude women exhibit a formal grace referencing nude figures of the Italian renaissance, while at the same time objectifying their subjects sexuality; they “exemplify his aesthetic position between tradition and modernism”.

The nudes of this period are displayed boldly, with only the faintest suggestion of setting. Neither demure nor provocative, they are depicted with a degree of objectivity.

His nudes manifest a full, sensual beauty that is not weighed down by the detailing of the surroundings.

The well proportioned figures are drawn with clear, passionate lines giving them a sensuous feeling.