Inspired by painters such as Paul Gauguin, Emil Nolde and Vincent van Gogh, Suzanne Perlman (1922-2020) is best known today for her vibrant colours, bold brushstrokes and varied subject matter. ‘I never paint with any specific tactic or goal,’ she once said. ‘I just paint because I cannot help it.’

Over the course of her six-decade career, the self-taught artist painted everything from landscapes and portraits to nudes and still lifes. Many of these show the life and people on Curaçao, the Dutch Caribbean Island where she lived with her husband, Henri Perlman, after fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe in 1940. After the death of her husband, Perlman flitted between New York and London, settling in the latter in 1990. She continued to paint well into her nineties, explaining that ‘each brushstroke allows me to express my feelings.’

Offered at auction for the first time on 23 March at Sotheby’s in London, Reclining Nude (1986) depicts a woman dozing during the day, her curvaceous form illuminated by the dappled sun. Caught off guard, she is blissfully unaware of our intrusion. As such, a sense of peaceful calm pervades the canvas. Painted in a palette of earthy hues, it exemplifies Perlman’s expressionist style and her skill at capturing the ‘fleeting moment of insight’.

In recent years, there’s been an uptick in interest in Perlman’s work. In 2018 she enjoyed her first major retrospective at the Dutch Centre in London, and in 2021 Nude with Surinamese Drapery (1972) sold at Sotheby’s for £44,100, more than 10 times the low estimate. With a high estimate of just £7,000, we expect this charming picture to fly. Happy bidding!

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