Oil on Panel, 16″ x 20″
Roses Du Matin
Oil on Panel, 18″ x 24″
Requies
Mesquite Sunset
Reflections
The Reflection Pool
The Falls
Tidal Pool
Enigma
Medea
In this painting, Adrian Gottlieb hauntingly and beautifully portrays a troubling psychological moment from Classical Greek mythology. The treacherous Medea, who is in love with Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, is contemplating murdering and dismembering her brother, Absyrtus. Her gruesome plan involves scattering pieces of her brother on the road so that when her father, King Aeëtes, […]
Anticipation
White roses represent simplicity, elegance, hope, purity–and is a favorite choice of flowers among brides for their wedding bouquets. In the painting, Anticipation, Gottlieb sets his subject amidst an abundance of climbing white roses, making the young woman a part of nature’s beauty. She cautiously and delicately reaches toward a chosen rose. Will she be rewarded with a […]
Entangled
Sunrise
Sunrise represents an awakening, the beginning of a new day, a symbol of hope, a chance for happiness and a renewed outlook. The morning light can illuminate the birth of a new idea or the rebirth of a forgotten plan. In this subject, Gottlieb depicts a young woman focused on the horizon as she reflects on her future.
Resolve
Jordan’s Reverie
Azure
The color, azure, suggests clear blue skies, sailing the Mediterranean, a sense of peace and tranquility. With the azure silk ribbon gently spiraling through her upswept hair, she appears serene, elegant and poised. In this figure painting, Gottlieb emphasizes his subject’s classic feminine beauty by projecting her aquiline profile and long neck against a dark […]
Brother Fernando
The portrait of Brother Fernando reveals the character of a generous, compassionate and kind man. Fernando has done work for the city of LA, providing health services to the homeless and poor. He is also an avid runner who has a mischievous sense of humor and a sparkling smile.
Aria
The painting of Aria was inspired by an operatic solo and the dramatic presence of a beautiful young rising star in the theater. In this portrait she plays the role of a Parisienne socialite who is dressed in the exotic Orientalist 19th century fashion. She is worldly and elegant, looking out with a gaze of […]
Reveal
Gottlieb’s figurative paintings often display the nude. It is a timeless and classic subject matter that lends a touch of intimacy to the depiction of the human form. In this portrait of one of Gottlieb’s favorite models, Sarah, she reveals to us her femininity in the dignity of her gaze and her pose. We may […]
Lucretia
The story of Lucretia is a historical legend that grew from Roman folklore about a Roman wife whose rape by an Entruscan king’s son played a vital role in the anti-monarchist rebellion that changed the Roman Kingdom into the Roman Republic. The story has appeared throughout history, beginning with Ovid and St Augustine, later to […]
Morning Roses
Adrian Gottlieb’s vision for Morning Roses was two-fold. First, he sought to communicate the concept of the garden as a retreat — a place not only to bathe the senses, but also to provide a private sanctuary. To that end, the subject in Morning Roses is carefully posed. She both savors the fruits of her […]
Portrait for Lucretia
Satis
The subject for Satis represents an exotic woman with a seemingly cool personality. At first look, Gottlieb’s model appears relaxed in her wrapped kimono, however, the casualness of her robe can also be suggestive. The colors in this painting—cool blues and hot reds—heighten the sense of duality.
Crimson
In Adrian Gottlieb’s oil painting, Crimson, the artist contrasts the intensity of his model’s fiery locks by capturing her in a moment of thoughtful conversation. Her expression is demure as she looks gently downward, perhaps in search of a gracious reply. The subject is reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s muse, the red-haired […]
Nimbus
In classical mythology a nimbus is a shining cloud sometimes surrounding a deity when on earth. Gottlieb named this painting of one of his former models Toni, to describe the personality she presented for this painting. Her strength of character is apparent as an aura that overshadows the invitation of her open robe and instead […]
Flight
The title, Flight, is meant to describe the freedom the painting inspires. Pure fantasy, Flight creates a dreamscape in which to indulge and delight one’s imagination. The viewer is transported to a psychological landscape, where lush textures and soft light are at play. One’s mind is set free to wander through this highly sensuous piece.
Siren Song
The tales of beautiful women luring men to destruction by leading them with the sound of their sweet voices come from Greek mythology. A Siren was thought to be a half human female and half bird. As described in Homer’s Odyssey there were two Sirens living on an island located between Aeaea and the rocks of Scylla […]
Marble Palace
This painting is a play of contrasts with hard & soft textures and warm & cool sensations. Inspired by an Orientalist French painting from the 18th century where a girl lies upon a soft bed of furs, Gottlieb paints an exotic picture where warm sensuality is cooled by the surrounding marble walls. It is a […]
Second Thoughts
Inspired by a universal theme of human indecision before commitment, Second Thoughts is a story for all ages. It also serves as an allegory for youth and beauty at the threshold, pausing to consider a moment before moving forward. Adrian and his former model Sarah shopped together for the wedding dress and suitcase in Hollywood. […]
Halcyone
Halcyon is a mythical bird, usually identified with the kingfisher, said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to have the power of charming winds and waves into calmness. Gottlieb presents an embodiment of this rare spirit before us, with the wild wind and stormy […]
Dormir
Dormir is French for “to sleep”. Gottlieb chose a French name for his painting in part to honor a French painter whose work provided the original impetus for Gottlieb to paint his reclining nude. This classic subject and pose has countless guises throughout history from Titian to Manet and beyond, yet Gottlieb’s touch is unmistakeable […]
