Stillness and Strength

Title: Stillness and Strength
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 50 × 70 cm
Artist: Valeria Notarnicola
Year: February 2025

Description:
Stillness and Strength is a poised and powerful portrait that explores the silent confidence shared between two women. Side by side, they appear at once serene and commanding—embodying beauty, presence, and a quiet defiance. Their contrasting complexions and features form a harmonious visual duality, emphasizing unity in difference and the grace found in individuality.

One figure, adorned with a pearl-like cascade around her neck, gazes outward with a gentle intensity, while the other—striking in her minimalist strength—anchors the composition with a steady gaze. The background, a tapestry of soft squares and abstract floral forms in golds, browns, and blacks, subtly echoes the decorative elegance of Klimt, adding layers of depth and sophistication.

In Stillness and Strength, Valeria Notarnicola captures more than fashion or form—she paints a moment of dignified solidarity. The work honors feminine presence not through motion or drama, but through stillness imbued with inner resilience and mutual respect.