the beauty and sensuality of Saida, by Kees van Dongen ca 1913

Kees van Dongen (image here) who I got re-acquainted with recently on my visit to Amsterdam and The Hague, was a Dutch painter born near Rotterdam, who's earlier works were way ahead of their time. He was a fauvist, one of my favorite groups, because everything was about colour.

I didn't see this particular painting, but the paintings I did see inspired me deeply. I haven't put them here because the ones I saw are ubiquitous, you just have to google his name and up they come. I haven't seen 'Saida' before, and it did indeed remind me of an earlier time in my life in Morocco where I met one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, even to this day, called Saida, who was the daughter of a family in Rabat where we were guests.
This Saida pictured here has the same quality of serenity, yet sensual femininity, and depth of gaze.

Oh Siena..a place so filled with Soul.
 It's very hard to describe what goes on that makes you feel like you're being held and fed with some Earthy nectar.
And the pictures don't convey it. The only problem was all the other thousands who were there just like us. But it still wove its magic..