https://nmwa.org/blog/5-fast-facts/five-fast-facts-marie-laurencin/
One of my favorite painters is Marie Laurencin. She was part of the avante garde scene in Paris in the early 20th century. Marie Laurencin was a siginificant member of the lesbian artist community and lived her life unapologetically. In the era of cubism, she was an impressionist painter using pastel colors instead of the strong primary colors used by most artists. Although she was as good as the male artists of that time she never received their acclaim and her paintings are not usually in exhibitions. There is a Marie Laurencin museum in Japan and the National Museum of Women in the Arts has some in their permanent collection.
I love how soft and delicate her work is. The emphasis is on color rather than getting the anatomy just right. Several years ago I spent many months studying her work and realized that the calmness of each one drew me in. It really is difficult to create soft and feminine paintings. I struggled at fist to emulate her style but eventually found my way and incorporated her style into my own.