‘Elegance’ is a large contemporary oil on canvas portrait painting of vertical format created by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Van Cuong in 2018. Featuring a soft palette made of grey, purple, blue and pink tones, the painting showcases the portrait of an elegant Vietnamese woman, depicted on a light grey background. While the viewer is drawn to the close-up view of the woman’s face showing the perfection of her complexion and her modern hairdo, the character seems distant and emotionless. In Cuong’s own words: "My paintings are an attempt to show the contradiction between who women are and who they make themselves up to be. They address contradictions: femininity versus frivolity, truth versus fallacy, purity versus vulgarity, and true beauty versus a sheath of deception … I hope that "Makeup Faces" gives the viewer a subtle but provocative message with the aesthetic contained within each piece. Even better would be that the paintings lead to a dialog about "Makeup" and its implication.” Unframed, this vertical oil on canvas painting will bring a modern touch of elegance to any home, whether placed above a sofa, console table or credenza.