Picture of the Month for March 2023 is About a Thought by Esperanza Cuartero. It was chosen from the Members Gallery by Paul Whitehouse.

About a Thought is an oil painting by Esperanza Cuartero. I have chosen it because it is a lovely restrained portrait capturing a moment when a young girl is lost in thought, or perhaps a daydream. It’s quite a large painting (nearly a metre tall) painted in a limited palette of pale pinks, greys, and browns contrasting with the girl’s black hair and chair arm, on which she is resting. I particularly like the simple composition and the way the artist has resisted the temptation to add detail or background, so all our attention is focused on the girl’s face and hands.