About the artwork
This work, entitled Visage aux yeux écorchés and created in 2018 by Benjamin Carbonne, is presented as an acrylic painting on wood, in which the artist develops an expressive and introspective approach to portraiture. The figure, treated halfway between appearance and erasure, emerges from a rough brown background, revealing the materiality of the support. The face, frontal but unstable, seems to be in tension, as if traversed by rapid, nervous gestures. The eyes, partially erased or blurred by impasto and white traces, become the focal point of the composition, evoking a form of vulnerability, or even alteration of identity. The palette, deliberately restricted to dark tones - black, grey, brown - is punctuated by lighter highlights that sculpt the volumes of the face and accentuate the dramatic dimension of the whole. The treatment of the bust, left unfinished towards the bottom, reinforces the impression of the figure's gradual dissolution into matter. The work is thus part of an investigation into human presence, memory and erasure, in which painting becomes a terrain for psychological as well as plastic exploration.
Expert opinion
This piece by Benjamin Carbonne demonstrates a mastery of pictorial language and a particular sensitivity to contemporary portraiture. The artist succeeds here in combining a strong expressive gesture with a solid construction of the composition, creating an image that is both immediate and deeply introspective. The work on the material and the superimpositions of pictorial layers give the work a notable visual density, while the deliberate alteration of the gaze introduces a marked emotional dimension. This type of work is part of a current trend in contemporary portraiture, in which the human figure is represented less for its likeness than for its ability to convey inner states. Based on the visual evidence available, the overall condition of the work appears to be satisfactory, with a coherent surface and the material holding up well. In terms of the market, Benjamin Carbonne is part of an emerging scene, and this type of unique work, characteristic of his pictorial style, may be of interest to collectors sensitive to expressive, embodied painting.
About the artist
Benjamin Carbonne (born 1963, France) is a contemporary French painter known for his exploration of the human figure through expressive, often haunting depictions. His work oscillates between figuration and abstraction, aiming to reveal the fragility, strength, and mystery of human existence. Carbonne’s paintings have been exhibited widely in France and abroad, and they are held in both private and institutional collections. With a style that combines physical immediacy and existential reflection, Carbonne has established himself as one of the distinctive voices of contemporary French figurative painting.
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