Description and Critical Analysis of the Work

Lucien Joseph FONTANAROSA (1912–1975)
Title: Young Girl with a Poppy
Medium: Original lithograph
Dimensions: 24 × 32 cm (9 1/2 × 12 1/2 inches )
Signature: Signed in pencil by the artist
Edition: Limited to 125 copies, this one marked Hors Commerce (HC).

In this lithograph, Lucien Joseph Fontanarosa reveals the full delicacy of his portrait art, bringing to life a young girl whose gaze, at once candid and solemn, seems to contain an entire inner world. The palette, dominated by warm tones of ochre, red, and brown, gives the composition an intimate, almost confidential atmosphere.

The vivid poppy, placed next to the face, introduces a sharp yet fragile counterpoint: a symbol of ephemeral beauty and remembrance, it resonates with the youth of the model and deepens the melancholic undertone of the scene. Pastel-like strokes and soft shadows shape a face vibrant with sensitivity, where the tender and modest humanity that Fontanarosa always sought to convey becomes palpable.

This work perfectly illustrates the artist’s place among the great portraitists of the 20th century: far from photographic realism, he captures the soul of his subjects with an economy of means and a refined mastery of color and light.

Biographical Note

Lucien Joseph Fontanarosa was born in Paris in 1912 into a family of Italian origin. A brilliant student at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1936, which granted him entry to the Villa Medici. This stay in Italy profoundly shaped his artistic vision, nurturing his taste for light and humanist themes.

Upon his return to France, he quickly established himself as a painter, lithographer, and illustrator. Throughout his career, he favored intimate subjects: portraits, family scenes, musicians, or landscapes suffused with poetic atmosphere. His fluid line, mastery of lithography, and refined sense of color made him a highly regarded artist among collectors and respected by his peers.

Fontanarosa regularly took part in Parisian Salons, and his works entered public collections, notably the Musée national d’Art moderne and several regional museums.

He passed away in 1975, leaving behind a body of work that is sensitive and profoundly human. Today, his art continues to be celebrated for its ability to express, with tenderness and intensity, the emotion of the moment and the discreet beauty of everyday life.