Yvette Alde (1911–1967) / Portrait Of A Woman At A Table / Dated 1943 / Oil On Canvas

Painted in 1943, in the midst of World War II, this work by Yvette Alde combines psychological intensity, symbolic richness, and stylistic audacity. The young woman depicted, immersed in a deep reverie, embodies a form of inner resistance to the brutality of the world.

The strange landscape in the background—more mental than real—and the curtain sliding from the window onto the table intentionally blur the lines. This unstable setting reflects the character's state of mind while conveying the disorientation of the time.

Through expressive figuration, contrasting colors, and a subtly off-center composition, Yvette Alde follows in the footsteps of French Expressionism, like those of Francis Gruber and Bernard Buffet. This rare work combines pictorial strength and human depth, making this painting much more than a simple portrait: a silent allegory of the soul in times of war.