Description
Ntombi
Fine Art Print on 230gsm Premium Poster Paper
17 × 24 cm image on an A4 sheet
R650
Ntombi is a quiet, closely observed portrait set against a cool turquoise ground. A striped headcloth in pale blue, white and grey covers the head and falls to the shoulders, banded across the forehead with a strong red-and-white pattern. The face is modelled softly in warm browns, with pink, orange and lilac lights along the nose, cheek and lower lip. At the throat and across the chest hang rows of cowrie shells strung with amber and blue beads, painted in patient, individual touches.
The picture works on the contrast between the cool blue surround and the warmth of the skin, a pairing that makes the face glow without any heightening of colour for its own sake. The handling is more naturalistic than most of the collection — the drawing is careful, the light consistent, the expression unhurried and slightly guarded. Only the headcloth and the shell necklaces are treated more freely, in quick decisive strokes that keep the picture from becoming static.
At 17 × 24 cm on 230gsm premium poster paper, Ntombi is a calm, self-contained print. The cool turquoise makes it an easy piece to place in a bedroom or bathroom, and it provides a restful note among the warmer prints in the collection.
Specifications
- Title: Ntombi
- Artist: Julie Tugwell
- Type: Fine art print of an original artwork
- Paper: Premium poster stock, 230gsm
- Image size: 17 × 24 cm
- Sheet size: A4 — 21 × 29.7 cm
- Orientation: Portrait
- Supplied: Unframed
- Collection: African Portraits
- Availability: Available
Key Features
- Cool turquoise ground against warm skin tones
- Striped headcloth with a red-and-white banded brow
- Rows of cowrie shells strung with amber and blue beads
- Printed on 230gsm premium poster stock
- Supplied unframed, ready to frame or mount
Ideal Setting
A calm, restful piece for a bedroom, bathroom, study or hallway. The cool turquoise palette suits coastal, contemporary and neutral interiors, and works well in guest bedrooms and quiet reception spaces.
Style
Julie Tugwell is a contemporary South African artist whose work shares qualities with expressive, painterly traditions, favouring energetic brushwork and an emotional response to her subject over strict realism. In her portrait work she builds the face from bold, singing colour, letting warm and cool tones play against one another so that character and presence carry the picture rather than a literal likeness. The result is work that brings warmth, personality and considered sophistication to contemporary interiors.
At a Glance
- Artist: Julie Tugwell, contemporary South African artist
- Artwork: Ntombi
- Format: Fine art print on 230gsm premium poster paper
- Print size: 17 × 24 cm image on an A4 sheet, portrait
- Subject: Naturalistic portrait in a striped headcloth with cowrie shell necklaces
- Style: Expressive, colour-led contemporary portraiture
- Palette: Turquoise, warm brown, red, white and amber
- Collection: African Portraits by Julie Tugwell
- Ideal setting: A calm, restful piece for a bedroom, bathroom, study or hallway
- Price: R650, supplied unframed
Please note: Images are provided as a guide to the artwork’s size and style. As each piece is photographed under different lighting conditions and viewed on different screens, colours may vary slightly from the printed artwork.
