Max Moreau (1902-1992), Portrait of a Woman with a Necklace, Signed Oil on Canvas, Oval Format

Portrait of a Woman with a Necklace

This oval oil on canvas shows a young woman seen from the chest up, looking slightly to her right. She wears a pale pink dress with a rounded neckline and a strand of pearls at her throat. Her brown hair is cut short and styled close to the head in a manner typical of the 1920s and 1930s. The face is built with soft, blended tones of pink and cream, while the background is worked in muted rose and gray. The brushwork is visible throughout, with confident, broad strokes across the dress and shoulders, and more careful modeling around the eyes, nose, and mouth. The painting is signed "Max Moreau" and dated in red paint at the lower right.

About the Artist

Max Moreau (1902-1992) was a Belgian painter born in Mons. He studied at the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Mons and later in Brussels. From 1946 to 1960, Moreau lived and worked in the Belgian Congo, where he painted portraits, landscapes, and scenes of daily life. After returning to Belgium, he continued his figurative work and exhibited regularly. His paintings are held in Belgian public collections, including the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Mons. This portrait belongs to his European body of work and is characteristic of his direct, unadorned approach to the figure.